Recombinant c1 beta-glucosidase for production of sugars from cellulosic biomass

ABSTRACT

The invention relates to expression of a recombinant C1 β-glucosidase. The invention also provides methods for producing a fermentable sugar from cellobiose by contacting cellobiose with a recombinant host cell comprising a polynucleotide sequence encoding C1 β-glucosidase, operably linked to heterologous promoter, under conditions in which β-glucosidase is expressed and secreted by the cell and the cellobiose is enzymatically converted by said β-glucosidase to glucose. Methods of the invention may be used for conversion of a biomass substrate to a fermentable sugar, and ultimately to ethanol or other biofuel.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a Divisional of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/496,368, filed Apr. 12, 2012, which is a 371 filing of PCT International Application No. PCT/US2010/050982, filed Sep. 30, 2010 which claims benefit of U.S. Prov. Pat. Appin. Ser. No. 61/247,379, filed Sep. 30, 2009, the contents of each of which are incorporated herein by reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to expression of a recombinant β-glucosidase and its use in the production of fermentable sugars from cellulosic biomass.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Cellulosic biomass is a significant renewable resource for the generation of sugars. Fermentation of these sugars can yield commercially valuable end-products, including biofuels and chemicals currently derived from petroleum. While the fermentation of simple sugars to ethanol is relatively straightforward, the efficient conversion of cellulosic biomass to fermentable sugars such as glucose is challenging. See, e.g., Ladisch et al., 1983, Enzyme Microb. Technol. 5:82. Cellulosic material may be pretreated chemically, mechanically or in other ways to increase the susceptibility of cellulose to hydrolysis. Such pretreatment may be followed by the enzymatic conversion of cellulose to glucose, cellobiose, cello-oligosaccharides and the like, using enzymes that specialize in breaking down the β-1-4 glycosidic bonds of cellulose. These enzymes are collectively referred to as “cellulases”.

Cellulases are divided into three sub-categories of enzymes: 1,4-β-D-glucan glucanohydrolase (“endoglucanase” or “EG”); 1,4-β-D-glucan cellobiohydrolase (“exoglucanase”, “cellobiohydrolase”, or “CBH”); and β-D-glucoside-glucohydrolase (“β-glucosidase”, “cellobiase” or “BG”). Endoglucanases randomly attack the interior parts and mainly the amorphous regions of cellulose, mostly yielding glucose, cellobiose, and cellotriose. Exoglucanases incrementally shorten the glucan molecules by binding to the glucan ends and releasing mainly cellobiose units from the ends of the cellulose polymer. β-glucosidases split the cellobiose, a water-soluble β-1,4-linked dimer of glucose, into two units of glucose. Efficient production of cellulases for use in processing cellulosic biomass would reduce costs and increase the efficiency of production of biofuels and other commercially valuable compounds.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In one aspect the invention provides a method of producing a secreted β-glucosidase polypeptide, by culturing a cell comprising a polynucleotide sequence encoding C1 β-glucosidase (SEQ ID NO:3) or an enzymatically active variant thereof, operably linked to a heterologous promoter, under conditions in which 3-glucosidase is produced. The cell may be a C1 strain cell. Alternatively, the cell may be other than a C1 strain cell. In some cases the heterologous promoter is the C1 cellobiohydrolase 1a (CBH1a) promoter. In some cases the polynucleotide sequence does not encode one or more of SEQ ID NO:11, SEQ ID NO:30, or SEQ ID NO:31. Optionally the polynucleotide sequence encodes SEQ ID NO:4.

In one aspect the invention provides a method for producing glucose from cellobiose, by contacting cellobiose with a recombinant cell comprising a polynucleotide sequence encoding C1 β-glucosidase (SEQ ID NO:3) or an enzymatically active variant thereof, operably linked to a heterologous promoter, under conditions in which β-glucosidase is expressed and secreted by the cell and said cellobiose is enzymatically converted by said β-glucosidase to glucose. The cell may be a C1 strain cell. Alternatively, the cell may be other than a C1 strain cell. In some cases the heterologous promoter is the C1 cellobiohydrolase 1a (CBH1a) promoter. In some cases the polynucleotide sequence does not encode one or more of SEQ ID NO:11, SEQ ID NO:30, or SEQ ID NO:31. Optionally the polynucleotide encodes SEQ ID NO:4.

Also contemplated is a method of converting a biomass substrate to a fermentable sugar, by combining recombinant β-glucosidase made according to the invention, with the biomass substrate (e.g., cellobiose) under conditions suitable for the production of the fermentable sugar. In some cases the method includes the step of recovering the β-glucosidase from the medium in which the cell is cultured. In one aspect a composition comprising the recombinant 3-glucosidase is provided.

In one aspect, the invention provides a recombinant host cell comprising a polynucleotide sequence encoding C1 β-glucosidase (SEQ ID NO:3), or a variant thereof, operably linked to a heterologous promoter. Optionally the polynucleotide encodes SEQ ID NO:4. In one embodiment the recombinant host cell expresses at least one other recombinant cellulase enzyme. Also contemplated is a method of converting a biomass substrate to a fermentable sugar, by combining the recombinant cell with the biomass substrate under conditions suitable for the production of the fermentable sugar.

Also provided are is a cell comprising a polynucleotide sequence encoding C1 β-glucosidase (SEQ ID NO:3), or an enzymatically active variant thereof as described herein, wherein the encoding sequence does not comprise an intron, and optionally is operably linked to heterologous promoter, which may be a C1 cellobiohydrolase 1a (CBH1a) promoter. In one embodiment, the cell expresses at least one additional recombinant cellulase enzyme.

Also provided is a composition containing a cell comprising a polynucleotide sequence encoding C1 β-glucosidase (SEQ ID NO:3) or an enzymatically active variant thereof, as described herein, and a β-glucosidase protein secreted by the cell. In one aspect a recombinant cell described herein is contacted with a biomass substrate (e.g., cellobiose) and the substrate is converted to a fermentable sugar (e.g., glucose).

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

FIG. 1A-F shows the genomic (SEQ ID NO:1) and cDNA (SEQ ID NO:2) sequences encoding the C1 β-glucosidase 1 (BGL1) protein. The genomic sequence is above and aligned with the lower cDNA sequence. Gaps in the lower sequence show the positions of introns.

FIG. 2A-D shows the BGL1 cDNA sequence (SEQ ID NO:2) and the corresponding protein sequence. The predicted signal peptide and corresponding nucleotide sequence are in bold font. The amino acid sequence including the signal peptide sequence is SEQ ID NO:4. The amino acid sequence not including the signal peptide sequence is SEQ ID NO:3.

FIG. 3 illustrates the exon structure of the bgl1 gene (lower arrow) compared to a previously described exon structure (upper arrow).

FIG. 4 shows the 5′ (promoter) sequence of the C1 cbh1a gene (SEQ ID NO:8).

FIG. 5A-C shows an artificial polynucleotide sequence encoding a C1 β-glucosidase 1 (BGL1) secreted protein (SEQ ID NO:9). The sequence has a codon usage bias to optimize expression in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION I. Definitions

The following definitions are provided to assist the reader. Unless otherwise defined, all terms of art are intended to have the meanings commonly understood by those of skill in the molecular biology and microbiology arts. In some cases, terms with commonly understood meanings are defined herein for clarity and/or for ready reference, and the inclusion of such definitions herein should not necessarily be construed to represent a substantial difference over the definition of the term as generally understood in the art.

The term “cellulase” refers to a category of enzymes capable of hydrolyzing cellulose β-1,4-glucan or β-D-glucosidic linkages) to shorter oligosaccharides, cellobiose and/or glucose.

The term “β-glucosidase” or “cellobiase” used interchangeably herein means a 62 -D-glucoside glucohydrolase which catalyzes the hydrolysis of a sugar dimer, including but not limited to cellobiose, with the release of a corresponding sugar monomer. In one embodiment, a β-glucosidase is a β-glucosidase glucohydrolase of the classification E.C. 3.2.1.21 which catalyzes the hydrolysis of cellobiose to glucose. Some of the β-glucosidases have the ability to also hydrolyze β-D-galactosides, β-L-arabinosides and/or β-D-fucosides and further some β-glucosidases can act on α-1,4-substrates such as starch. β-glucosidase activity may be measured by methods well known in the art, including the assays described hereinbelow.

The term “β-glucosidase polypeptide” refers herein to a polypeptide having β-glucosidase activity.

The term “β-glucosidase polynucleotide” refers to a polynucleotide encoding a polypeptide having β-glucosidase activity.

“Cellulolytic activity” encompasses exoglucanase activity (CBH), endoglucanase (EG) activity and/or β-glucosidase activity.

The term “exoglucanase”, “exo-cellobiohydrolase” or “CBH” refers to a group of cellulase enzymes classified as E.C. 3.2.1.91. These enzymes hydrolyze cellobiose from the reducing or non-reducing end of cellulose.

The term “endoglucanase” or “EG” refers to a group of cellulase enzymes classified as E.C. 3.2.1.4. These enzymes hydrolyze internal β-1,4 glucosidic bonds of cellulose.

As used herein, the term “isolated” refers to a nucleic acid, polynucleotide, polypeptide, protein, or other component that is partially or completely separated from components with which it is normally associated (other proteins, nucleic acids, cells, synthetic reagents, etc.).

The term “wildtype” as applied to a polypeptide (protein) means a polypeptide (protein) expressed by a naturally occurring microorganism such as bacteria or filamentous fungus. As applied to a microorganism, the term “wildtype” refers to the native, non-recombinant micro-organism.

A nucleic acid (such as a polynucleotide), a polypeptide, or a cell is “recombinant” when it is artificial or engineered, or derived from or contains an artificial or engineered protein or nucleic acid. A recombinant nucleic acid, or equivalently, polynucleotide, is one that is inserted into a heterologous location such that it is not associated with nucleotide sequences that normally flank the nucleic acid as it is found in nature. For example, a polynucleotide that is inserted into a vector or any other heterologous location, e.g., in a genome of a recombinant organism, such that it is not associated with nucleotide sequences that normally flank the polynucleotide as it is found in nature is a recombinant polynucleotide. Examples of recombinant nucleic acids include a protein-encoding DNA sequence that is (i) operably linked to a heterologous promoter and/or (ii) encodes a fusion polypeptide with a protein sequence and a heterologous signal peptide sequence. A protein expressed in vitro or in vivo from a recombinant polynucleotide is an example of a recombinant polypeptide. Likewise, a polynucleotide sequence that does not appear in nature, for example a variant of a naturally occurring gene, is recombinant.

Nucleic acids “hybridize” when they associate, typically in solution. Nucleic acids hybridize due to a variety of well-characterized physico-chemical forces, such as hydrogen bonding, solvent exclusion, base stacking and the like. As used herein, the term “stringent hybridization wash conditions” in the context of nucleic acid hybridization experiments, such as Southern and Northern hybridizations, are sequence dependent, and are different under different environmental parameters. An extensive guide to the hybridization of nucleic acids is found in Tijssen (1993) “Laboratory Techniques in biochemistry and Molecular Biology-Hybridization with Nucleic Acid Probes,” Part I, Chapter 2 (Elsevier, New York), which is incorporated herein by reference. For polynucleotides of at least 100 nucleotides in length, low to very high stringency conditions are defined as follows: prehybridization and hybridization at 42° C. in 5×SSPE, 0.3% SDS, 200 μg/ml sheared and denatured salmon sperm DNA, and either 25% formamide for low stringencies, 35% formamide for medium and medium-high stringencies, or 50% formamide for high and very high stringencies, following standard Southern blotting procedures. For polynucleotides of at least 100 nucleotides in length, the carrier material is finally washed three times each for 15 minutes using 2×SSC, 0.2% SDS at least at 50° C. (low stringency), at least at 55° C. (medium stringency), at least at 60° C. (medium-high stringency), at least at 65° C. (high stringency), and at least at 70° C. (very high stringency).

The term “culturing” or “cultivation” refers to growing a population of microbial cells under suitable conditions in a liquid or solid medium. In some embodiments, culturing refers to fermentative bioconversion of a cellulosic substrate to an end-product.

The term “contacting” refers to the placing of a respective enzyme in sufficiently close proximity to a respective substrate to enable the enzyme to convert the substrate to a product. Those skilled in the art will recognize that mixing solution of the enzyme with the respective substrate will effect contacting.

As used herein the term “transformed” or “transformation” used in reference to a cell means a cell has a non-native nucleic acid sequence integrated into its genome or as an episomal plasmid that is maintained through multiple generations.

The term “introduced” in the context of inserting a nucleic acid sequence into a cell means transfected, transduced or transformed (collectively “transformed”) and prokaryotic cell wherein the nucleic acid is incorporated into the genome of the cell.

As used herein, “C1” refers to a fungal strain described by Garg, A., 1966, “An addition to the genus Chrysosporium corda” Mycopathologia 30: 3-4. “Chrysosporium lucknowense” and includes the strains described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,015,707, 5,811,381 and 6,573,086; US Pat. Pub. Nos. 2007/0238155, US 2008/0194005, US 2009/0099079; International Pat. Pub. Nos., WO 2008/073914 and WO 98/15633, and any derivatives thereof, and include, without limitation, Chrysosporium lucknowense Garg 27K, VKM-F 3500 D (Accession No. VKM F-3500-D), C1 strain UV13-6 (Accession No. VKM F-3632 D), C1 strain NG7C-19 (Accession No. VKM F-3633 D), and C1 strain UV18-25 (VKM F-3631 D), all of which have been deposited at the All-Russian Collection of Microorganisms of Russian Academy of Sciences (VKM), Bakhurhina St. 8, Moscow, Russia, 113184, and any derivatives thereof. Although initially described as Chrysosporium lucknowense, C1 may currently be considered a strain of Myceliophthora thermophila. Other C1 strains include cells deposited under accession numbers ATCC 44006, CBS (Centraalbureau voor Schimmelcultures) 122188, CBS 251.72, CBS 143.77, CBS 272.77, and VKM F-3500D. Exemplary C1 strains include modified organisms in which one or more endogenous genes or sequences has been deleted and/or one or more heterologous genes or sequences has been introduced. Derivatives include UV18#100fΔalpl, UV18#100f Δpyr5 Δalpl, UV18#100.f Δalpl Δpep4 Δalp2, UV18#100.f Δpyr5 Δalpl Δpep4 Aalp2 and UV18#100.f Δpyr4 Δ]yr5 Δa1p 1 Δpep4 Δalp2. as described in WO2008073914, incorporated herein by reference.

When two elements, e.g., a promoter and a coding sequence, are said to be “operably linked,” it is meant that the juxtaposition of the two allows them to be functionally active. Thus, a promoter or other control sequence is “operably linked” to a coding sequence when the promoter or control sequence is placed at a position relative to the coding sequence of the DNA sequence so that it controls the transcription of the coding sequence.

As used herein, the terms “identical” or percent “identity,” in the context of describing two or more polynucleotide or polypeptide sequences, refer to two or more sequences that are the same or have a specified percentage of nucleotides or residues that are the same when compared and aligned for maximum correspondence over a comparison window or designated region (e.g., the entire length of the reference sequence), as measured by manual alignment and visual inspection or using one of the following sequence comparison algorithms. Methods of alignment of sequences for comparison are well-known in the art. In one embodiment two sequences are aligned (e.g., manually) for optimal identity without introducing gaps in either sequence, or with no more than 1, 2 or 3 gaps of typically less than 10 residues each.

A “comparison window” as used herein, includes reference to a segment of any one of the number of contiguous positions selected from the group consisting of from 20 to 500, usually about 50 to about 300, also about 50 to 250, and also about 100 to about 200 in which a sequence may be compared to a reference sequence of the same number of contiguous positions after the two sequences are optimally aligned. As noted, in some embodiments the comparison is between the entire length of the two sequences, or, if one sequence is a fragment of the other, the entire length of the shorter of the two sequences.

For sequence comparison, typically one sequence acts as a reference sequence, to which test sequences are compared. When using a sequence comparison algorithm, test and reference sequences are entered into a computer, subsequence coordinates are designated, if necessary, and sequence algorithm program parameters are designated. Default program parameters can be used, or alternative parameters can be designated. Examples of algorithms that are suitable for determining percent sequence identity and sequence similarity are the BLAST and BLAST 2.0 algorithms, which are described in Altschul et al., (1990) J. Mol. Biol. 215: 403-410 and Altschul et al. (1977) Nucleic Acids Res. 25: 3389-3402, respectively. Software for performing BLAST analyses is publicly available at the National Center for Biotechnology Information website, ncbi.nlm.nih.gov. The BLAST algorithm also performs a statistical analysis of the similarity between two sequences (see, e.g., Karlin & Altschul, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 90:5873-5787 (1993)). One measure of similarity provided by the BLAST algorithm is the smallest sum probability (P(N)), which provides an indication of the probability by which a match between two nucleotide or amino acid sequences would occur by chance. For example, a nucleic acid is considered similar to a reference sequence if the smallest sum probability in a comparison of the test nucleic acid to the reference nucleic acid is less than about 0.2, more preferably less than about 0.01, and most preferably less than about 0.001.

When used herein, the term “coding sequence” is intended to cover a nucleotide sequence, which directly specifies the amino acid sequence of its protein product. The boundaries of the coding sequence are generally determined by an open reading frame, which usually begins with the ATG start codon. The coding sequence typically includes a DNA, cDNA, and/or recombinant nucleotide sequence.

A promoter or other control sequence is “heterologous”, when it is operably linked to a sequence encoding a protein sequence with which the promoter is not associated in nature. For example, in a recombinant construct in which the C1 Cbh1a promoter is operably linked to a protein coding sequence other than the C1 Cbh1a protein coding sequence, the promoter is heterologous. For example, in a construct comprising a C1 Cbh1a promoter operably linked to a C1 β-glucosidase 1 encoding sequence, the promoter is heterologous.

As used herein, the term “expression” includes any step involved in the production of the polypeptide including, but not limited to, transcription, post-transcriptional modification, translation, post-translational modification, and secretion.

The term “expression vector” refers herein to a DNA molecule, linear or circular, that comprises a segment encoding a polypeptide of the invention, and which is operably linked to additional segments that provide for its transcription.

A polypeptide is “enzymatically active” when it has 3-glucosidase activity.

The term “pre-protein” refers to a secreted protein with an amino-terminal signal peptide region attached. The signal peptide is cleaved from the pre-protein by a signal peptidase prior to secretion to result in the “mature” or “secreted” protein.

As used herein, a “start codon” is the ATG codon that encodes the first amino acid residue (methionine) of a protein.

II. Introduction

The fungus C1 produces a variety of enzymes that act in concert to catalyze decrystallization and hydrolysis of cellulose to yield soluble sugars. The C1 genome has been at least partially sequenced, as indicated in U.S. patent publications US 2007/0238155, US 2008/0194005, and US 2009/0099079, incorporated herein by reference for all purposes. FIG. 13 of patent publication US 2007/0238155 provides sequence information for the C1 β-glucosidase 1 (bgl1) gene and the encoded protein (BGL1). As discussed in Examples 1 and 2, below, it has now been discovered that this previously published bgl1 gene sequence included sequencing errors. Moreover, surprisingly, the exon structure of the published bgl1 sequence is incorrect. As a consequence of these errors, the available C1 BGL1 protein sequence includes errors, particularly in the signal peptide and at the amino terminus of the mature (i.e., secreted) BGL1 protein.

As discussed in greater detail below, the correct sequence of the BGL1 pre-protein is set forth herein as SEQ ID NO:3 and the correct sequence of the BGL1 secreted protein is set forth as SEQ ID NO:4. Table 1 provides a summary of sequences frequently referred to in this disclosure.

TABLE 1 SEQ ID NO.: Description  1 C1 bgl gene sequence nucleotide  2 C1 cDNA sequence nucleotide  3 BGL secreted protein amino acid  4 BGL pre-protein amino acid  5 BGL secreted protein amino terminus (IESRK) amino acid  6 BGL signal peptide (MKAAALSCLFGSTLAVAGA) amino acid  7 BGL preprotein amino terminus amino acid (MKAAALSCLFGSTLAVAGAIESRK)  8 C1 Cbh1a promoter sequence nucleotide  9 Artificial polynucleotide encoding C1 BGL1 protein nucleotide (codon optimized for expression in S cerevisiae) 13- Flanking sequence 5′ to BGL1 start codon nucleotide 17 18 bgl1 intronic sequence nucleotide 19 bgl1 intronic sequence fragment nucleotide 20 Exon 1 sequence of bgl1 nucleotide 21 Exon 1 and Intron 1 of bgl1 nucleotide

The C1 β-glucosidase pre-protein and secreted protein, and polynucleotides encoding them, may be used in a variety of applications in which β-glucosidase activity is desired, such as those described hereinbelow. For simplicity, and as will be apparent from context, references to the “C1 BGL1 protein” and the like may be used to refer both to the mature (secreted) form of the protein and to the pre-protein.

In one embodiment, a sequence encoding a C1 BGL1 protein described herein is operably linked to a promoter not associated with BGL1 in nature (i.e., a heterologous promoter), to, for example, improve expression efficiency of the BGL1 protein when expressed in a host cell. In one embodiment the host cell is a fungus, such as a filamentous fungus. In one embodiment the host cell is a C1 strain cell. In one embodiment the host cell C1 and the promoter is the C1 Cbh1a promoter. Advantageously, cultured C1 cells transfected with a vector comprising a C1 β-glucosidase-encoding sequence operably linked to a Cbh1a promoter produced about 35-fold greater β-glucosidase activity than did control cells expressing endogenous bgl1.

The C1 β-glucosidase expression system described herein is particularly useful for production of fermentable sugars from cellulosic biomass. In one aspect the invention relates to a method of producing glucose by contacting a composition comprising cellobiose with a recombinantly expressed C1 β-glucosidase under conditions in which the cellobiose is enzymatically converted to glucose. Purified or partially purified recombinant β-glucosidase protein may be contacted with the cellobiose. Alternatively, recombinant host cells expressing β-glucosidase may be contacted with cellobiose. In one aspect of the present invention, said “contacting” comprises culturing a recombinant host cell in a medium that contains cellobiose produced from a cellulosic feedstock, where the recombinant cell comprises a sequence encoding C1 β-glucosidase operably linked to a heterologous promoter.

In another aspect of the invention, the C1 β-glucosidase signal peptide (SEQ ID NO:6) may be fused to the amino terminus of a polypeptide other than a C1 β-glucosidase (i.e., a “heterologous” polypeptide) to improve secretion, stability, or other properties of the polypeptide when expressed in a host cell, e.g., a fungal cell such as a C1 cell.

Various aspects of the invention are described in the following sections.

III. Properties of B-Glucosidase Proteins for use in Methods of the Invention

In one aspect the invention provides a method for expressing a β-glucosidase protein by culturing a host cell comprising a vector comprising a nucleic acid sequence encoding wild-type C1 BGL1 (SEQ ID NO:3) operably linked to a heterologous promoter, under conditions in which the β-glucosidase protein, a variant thereof, or an enzymatically active fragment thereof is expressed. Generally the expressed protein comprises a signal peptide, which may be SEQ ID NO:6 (the C1 BGL1 signal peptide) or may be a different signal peptide. In one embodiment, the protein does not comprise one or more of the sequences MQLPAAAQWLLTPAKASL (SEQ ID NO:11), ADNHR (SEQ ID NO:30) or MQLPAAAQWLLTPAKASLADNHR (SEQ ID NO:31).

In some embodiments the BGL1 polypeptide includes additional sequences which do not alter the encoded activity of a β-glucosidase. For example, the β-glucosidase may be linked to an epitope tag or to other sequence useful in β-glucosidase purification.

In some embodiments the BGL1 protein is a variant that differs from SEQ ID NO:3 at one or more positions. For example, in some embodiments the nucleic acid sequence encodes an enzymatically active BGL1 variant that differs from SEQ ID NO:3 or 4 at one or more positions and which:

a) is substantially identical to SEQ ID NO:3 (secreted protein) and/or is substantially identical to SEQ ID NO:4 (pre-protein); and

b) comprises an amino-terminal sequence set forth as IESRK (SEQ ID NO:5), ESRK (SEQ ID NO:29) or SRK; and/or encodes a pre-protein with an amino-terminal sequence comprising SEQ ID NO:6 or NO:7; and/or comprises at least one, at least two, or three of the following amino acid residues: aspartic acid at position 358 (358ASP), glutamine at position 381 (381GLN), and glutamic acid at position 385 (385GLU) where position numbers correspond to SEQ ID NO:4.

In one embodiment the BGL1 variant protein has substantial sequence identity to SEQ ID NO:3 or SEQ ID NO:4. For example, the BGL1 variant may have an amino acid sequence that is at least about 80% identical, at least about 81% identical, at least about 82% identical, at least about 83% identical, at least about 84% identical, at least about 85% identical, at least about 86% identical, sequence that is at least about 87% identical, at least about 88% identical, at least about 89% identical, at least about 90% identical, at least about 91% identical, at least about 92% identical, at least about 93% identicalsequence that is at least about 94% identical, at least about 95% identical, at least about 96% identical, at least about 97% identical, at least about 98% identical, or at least about 99% identical to SEQ ID NO:3 or SEQ ID NO:4.

Exemplary BGL1 variants may have other insertions, deletions and/or substitutions (including one or more conservative substitutions), as described hereinbelow, whilst remaining substantially identical to the wild-type protein. Mutagenesis and directed evolution methods can be applied to polynucleotides encoding a C1 BGL1 protein to obtain an enzymatically active variants with desirable properties.

Suitable mutagenesis and directed evolution methods are well known in the art. For example, in vitro recombination techniques such as DNA shuffling, staggered extension process (StEP), random chimeragenesis on transient templates (RACHITT), iterative truncation for the creation of hybrid enzymes (ITCHY), recombined extension on truncated templates (RETT), and others have been used to produce proteins with desired properties. In general, polypeptides are expressed from mutagenized polynucleotide sequences and assayed for beta-galatosidase activity (see below) and/or other desirable properties

Libraries of these β-glucosidase polypeptide variants may be generated and screened using the high throughput screen for presence of β-glucosidase activity. For example, a polynucleotide encoding a reference β-glucosidase (e.g., SEQ ID NO:3 or SEQ ID NO:4) is subjected to mutagenic processes (for example random mutagenesis and recombination) to introduce mutations into the polynucleotide. The mutated polynucleotide is expressed and translated, thereby generating engineered β-glucosidase enzymes with modifications to the polypeptide. As used herein, “modifications” include amino acid substitutions, deletions, and insertions including for example, those described hereinbelow. Any one or a combination of modifications can be introduced into the naturally occurring enzymatically active polypeptide to generate engineered enzymes, which are then screened by various methods to identify polypeptides having a desired improvement in a specific enzyme property (e.g., enhanced enzymatic activity). One or more polynucleotides encoding an engineered β-glucosidase with an improved property can be subjected to additional rounds of mutagenesis treatments to generate polypeptides with further improvements in the desired enzyme property and/or other properties. β-glucosidase activity can be determined using any β-glucosidase assay known in the art, such as the para-nitrophenyl-β-D-glucopyranoside (pNPG) and cellobiose assays described below.

In some embodiments the β-glucosidase polypeptide may have a substitution, deletion, and/or insertion, relative to SEQ ID NO: 3. A variety of modifications can be made while preserving (or enhancing) enzymatic activity. Typically the β-glucosidase polypeptide is substantially identical to SEQ ID NO:3 or SEQ ID NO:4.

In some embodiments the BGL1 variant protein differs from SEQ ID NO:3 or SEQ ID NO:4 by having an insertion or one or more amino acids. Such insertions can be at the amino-terminus, the carboxy-terminus or in a non-terminal portion of the protein. In some embodiments, a deletion of from 1 to 2, or from 1 or 2 to 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, or 50 amino acid residues may be inserted (at the N-terminus, C-terminus and/or nonterminal region of the protein).

In one embodiment the BGL1 protein comprises conservative amino acid substitutions (relative to SEQ ID NO:3 or SEQ ID NO:4) at one or more positions. The concept of conservative substitution is well known and is described herein. The present invention includes conservatively modified variants of the β-glucosidases described herein. These variants have conservative substitutions made in their amino acid sequences. Examples of conservative substitutions are within the group of basic amino acids (arginine, lysine and histidine), acidic amino acids (glutamic acid and aspartic acid), polar amino acids (glutamine and asparagines), hydrophobic amino acids (leucine, isoleucine and valine), aromatic amino acids (phenylalanine, tryptophan and tyrosine), and small amino acids (glycine, alanine, serine, threonine, proline, cysteine and methionine). Amino acid substitutions that do not generally alter the specific activity are known in the art and are described, for example, by H. Neurath and R. L. Hill, 1979, in “The Proteins,” Academic Press, New York. The most commonly occurring exchanges are Ala/Ser, Val/Ile, Asp/Glu, Thr/Ser, Ala/Gly, Ala/Thr, Ser/Asn, Ala/Val, Ser/Gly, Tyr/Phe, Ala/Pro, Lys/Arg, Asp/Asn, Leu/Ile, Leu/Val, Ala/Glu, and Asp/Gly as well as these in reverse.

In some embodiments the β-glucosidase polypeptide variants of the present invention include substitutions of a small percentage, typically less than 5%, more typically less than 2%, and often less than 1% of the amino acids of the polypeptide sequence, e.g., with a conservatively selected amino acid of the same conservative substitution group.

In some embodiments the BGL1 variant includes additional sequences. The addition of sequences which do not alter the encoded activity of a β-glucosidase, such as the addition of a non-functional or non-coding sequence, is considered a conservative variation of the β-glucosidase polypeptide/polynucleotide. For example, the β-glucosidase may be linked to an epitope tag or to other sequence useful in β-glucosidase purification.

Signal Peptide

In general, the β-glucosidase polypeptides are secreted from the host cell in which they are expressed (e.g., C1) and are expressed as a pre-protein including a signal peptide, i.e., an amino acid sequence linked to the amino terminus of a polypeptide and which directs the encoded polypeptide into the cell secretory pathway. In one embodiment, the signal peptide is the endogenous C1 β-glucosidase signal peptide having the sequence set forth as SEQ ID NO:6. In other embodiments, signal peptides from other C1 secreted proteins are used.

Other signal peptides may be used, depending on the host cell and other factors. Effective signal peptide coding regions for filamentous fungal host cells include but are not limited to the signal peptide coding regions obtained from Aspergillus oryzae TAKA amylase, Aspergillus niger neutral amylase, Aspergillus niger glucoamylase, Rhizomucor miehei asparatic proteinase, Humicola insolens cellulase, Humicola lanuginosa lipase, and T. reesei cellobiohydrolase II. For example, a C1 BGL1 sequence may be used with a variety of filamentous fungal signal peptides known in the art. Useful signal peptides for yeast host cells also include those from the genes for Saccharomyces cerevisiae alpha-factor and Saccharomyces cerevisiae invertase. Still other useful signal peptide coding regions are described by Romanos et al., 1992, Yeast 8:423-488. Effective signal peptide coding regions for bacterial host cells are the signal peptide coding regions obtained from the genes for Bacillus NCIB 11837 maltogenic amylase, Bacillus stearothermophilus alpha-amylase, Bacillus licheniformis subtilisin, Bacillus licheniformis β-lactamase, Bacillus stearothermophilus neutral proteases (nprT, nprS, nprM), and Bacillus subtilis prsA. Further signal peptides are described by Simonen and Palva, 1993, Microbiol Rev 57: 109-137. Variants of these signal peptides and other signal peptides are suitable.

β-Glucosidase Activity

β-glucosidase proteins used in the method of the invention are enzymatically active or are precursors of enzymatically active protein. β-glucosidase activity can be determined by methods known in the art. In one embodiment β-glucosidase activity is determined using a para-nitrophenyl-β-D-glucopyranoside (pNPG) assay. In one embodiment β-glucosidase activity is determined using a cellobiose assay. Typically an enzymatically active β-glucosidase polypeptide has at least 50% of the enzymatic activity of SEQ ID NO:3.

For example, a colorimetric pNPG (p-nitrophenyl-β-D-glucopyranoside)-based assay may be used to measure β-glucosidase activity. One such assay is described in Example 5, infra. In another exemplary pNPG assay, in a total volume of 100 μL, 20 μL clear media supernatant containing β-glucosidase enzyme is added to 4 mM pNPG (Sigma-Aldrich, Inc. St. Louis, Mo.) solution in 50 mM sodium phosphate buffer at pH6.5. The reactions are incubated at pH 6.5, 45° C. for 1 hour. The reaction mixture is quenched with 100 μL of 1M sodium carbonate pH 11 solution. The absorbance of the solution is measured at 405 nm to determine the conversion of pNPG to p-nitrophenol. The release of p-nitrophenol (ε=17,700 M-1 cm-1) is measured at 405 nm to calculate β-glucosidase activity. Detectable β-glucosidase activity is observed under high throughput screening conditions (pH 7, 50° C.). See Breves et al. (1997) Appl. Environmental Microbiol. 63:3902, incorporated hereby reference.

Alternatively β-glucosidase activity may be determined using a cellobiose assay, which used cellobiose as substrate. In a total volume of 100 μL, 25 μL clear media supernatant containing β-glucosidase enzyme is added to 10 g/L cellobiose (Fluka Cat. No. 22150, Sigma-Aldrich, Inc., St. Louis, Mo.) in 100 mM sodium phosphate buffer (pH 6-7) or sodium acetate buffer (pH 5-5.5). The reaction is incubated at 45-70° C. for an appropriate time (25 minutes to overnight depending on the enzyme concentration) while shaking. Glucose production is determined using an enzymatic glucose assay (K-GLUC, Megazyme, Ireland). 10 μl of each reaction is added to 190 μl GOPOD reagent (supplied as part of the K-GLUC assay kit). The reaction is incubated at 45° C. for 20 minutes and the absorbance of the solution was measured at 510 nm. The GOPOD reagent contains 50 mM Potassium phosphate buffer pH7.4, 0.011M p-hydroxybenzoic acid, 0.008% w/v sodium azide, glucose oxidase (>12,000 U/L), peroxidase (>650 U/L) and 80 mg/L 4-aminoantipyrine. The glucose oxidase enzyme in the reagent reacts with any glucose present in the sample and produces hydrogen peroxide which then reacts with the 4-aminoantipyrine to produce a quinoneimine dye in quantities proportionate with the amount of glucose present and can be measured spectrophotometrically at 510 nm.

IV. β-Glucosidase Polynucleotides and Expression Systems

The present invention provides polynucleotide sequences that encode the C1 β-glucosidase (i.e., SEQ ID NOS:3 and 4) as well as the C1 β-glucosidase signal peptide (SEQ ID NO:6). The C1 genomic and cDNA sequences encoding β-glucosidase are set forth as SEQ ID NO:1 and SEQ ID NO:2, respectively. The cDNA sequence encoding the C1 β-glucosidase signal peptide is the sequence from nucleotide 1 to 57 of SEQ ID NO:2. Those having ordinary skill in the art will readily appreciate that due to the degeneracy of the genetic code, a multitude of nucleotide sequences encoding β-glucosidase polypeptides of the present invention exist. Table 2 provides the standard triplet genetic code for each amino acid. For example, the codons AGA, AGG, CGA, CGC, CGG, and CGU all encode the amino acid arginine. Thus, at every position in the nucleic acids of the invention where an arginine is specified by a codon, the codon can be altered to any of the corresponding codons described above without altering the encoded polypeptide. It is understood that U in an RNA sequence corresponds to T in a DNA sequence. The invention contemplates and provides each and every possible variation of nucleic acid sequence encoding a polypeptide of the invention that could be made by selecting combinations based on possible codon choices.

A DNA sequence may also be designed for high codon usage bias codons (codons that are used at higher frequency in the protein coding regions than other codons that code for the same amino acid). The preferred codons may be determined in relation to codon usage in a single gene, a set of genes of common function or origin, highly expressed genes, the codon frequency in the aggregate protein coding regions of the whole organism, codon frequency in the aggregate protein coding regions of related organisms, or combinations thereof. Codons whose frequency increases with the level of gene expression are typically optimal codons for expression. In particular, a DNA sequence can be optimized for expression in a particular host organism. References providing preference information for a wide range of organisms are readily available See e.g., Henaut and Danchin in “Escherichia Salmonella,” Neidhardt, et al. Eds., ASM Pres, Washington D.C. (1996), pp. 2047-2066, which is incorporated herein by reference. For illustration, and not for limitation, FIG. 5A-C shows a C1 BGL1-encoding polynucleotide sequence designed with codon biasing for expression in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

TABLE 2  GENETIC CODE Amino acid Codon Alanine Ala A GCA GCC GCG GCU Cysteine Cys C UGC UGU Aspartic acid Asp D GAC GAU Glutamic acid Glu E GAA GAG Phenylalanine Phe F UUC UUU Glycine Gly G GGA GGC GGG GGU Histidine His H CAC CAU Isoleucine Ile I AUA AUC AUU Lysine Lys K AAA AAG Leucine Leu L UUA UUG CUA CUC CUG CUU Methionine Met M AUG Asparagine Asn N AAC AAU Proline Pro P CCA CCC CCG CCU Glutamine Gln Q CAA CAG Arginine Arg R AGA AGG CGA CGC CGG CGU Serine Ser S AGC AGU UCA UCC UCG UCU Threonine Thr T ACA ACC ACG ACU Valine Val V GUA GUC GUG GUU Tryptophan Trp W UGG Tyrosine Tyr Y UAC UAU

A variety of methods are known for determining the codon frequency (e.g., codon usage, relative synonymous codon usage) and codon preference in specific organisms, including multivariate analysis, for example, using cluster analysis or correspondence analysis, and the effective number of codons used in a gene (see GCG CodonPreference, Genetics Computer Group Wisconsin Package; Codon W, John Peden, University of Nottingham; McInerney, J. O, 1998, Bioinformatics 14:372-73; Stenico et al., 1994, Nucleic Acids Res. 222437-46; Wright, F., 1990, Gene 87:23-29; Wada et al., 1992, Nucleic Acids Res. 20:2111-2118; Nakamura et al., 2000, Nucl. Acids Res. 28:292; Henaut and Danchin, “Escherichia coli and Salmonella,” 1996, Neidhardt, et al. Eds., ASM Press, Washington D.C., p. 2047-2066, all of which are incorporated herein be reference). The data source for obtaining codon usage may rely on any available nucleotide sequence capable of coding for a protein. These data sets include nucleic acid sequences actually known to encode expressed proteins (e.g., complete protein coding sequences-CDS), expressed sequence tags (ESTs), or predicted coding regions of genomic sequences (see for example, Mount, D., Bioinformatics: Sequence and Genome Analysis, Chapter 8, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press, Cold Spring Harbor, N.Y., 2001; Uberbacher, E. C., 1996, Methods Enzymol. 266:259-281; Tiwari et al., 1997, Comput. Appl. Biosci. 13:263-270, all of which are incorporated herein by reference).

Expression Vectors

The present invention makes use of recombinant constructs comprising a sequence encoding a β-glucosidase as described above. In a particular aspect the present invention provides an expression vector comprising a β-glucosidase polynucleotide operably linked to a heterologous promoter. Expression vectors of the present invention may be used to transform an appropriate host cell to permit the host to express β-glucosidase protein. Methods for recombinant expression of proteins in fungi and other organisms are well known in the art, and number expression vectors are available or can be constructed using routine methods. See, e.g., Tkacz and Lange, 2004, ADVANCES IN FUNGAL BIOTECHNOLOGY FOR INDUSTRY, AGRICULTURE, AND MEDICINE, KLUWER ACADEMIC/PLENUM PUBLISHERS. New York; Zhu et al., 2009, Construction of two Gateway vectors for gene expression in fungi Plasmid 6:128-33; Kavanagh, K. 2005, FUNGI: BIOLOGY AND APPLICATIONS Wiley, all of which are incorporated herein by reference.

Nucleic acid constructs of the present invention comprise a vector, such as, a plasmid, a cosmid, a phage, a virus, a bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC), a yeast artificial chromosome (YAC), and the like, into which a nucleic acid sequence of the invention has been inserted. Polynucleotides of the present invention can be incorporated into any one of a variety of expression vectors suitable for expressing a polypeptide. Suitable vectors include chromosomal, nonchromosomal and synthetic DNA sequences, e.g., derivatives of SV40; bacterial plasmids; phage DNA; baculovirus; yeast plasmids; vectors derived from combinations of plasmids and phage DNA, viral DNA such as vaccinia, adenovirus, fowl pox virus, pseudorabies, adenovirus, adeno-associated virus, retroviruses and many others. Any vector that transduces genetic material into a cell, and, if replication is desired, which is replicable and viable in the relevant host can be used.

In a preferred aspect of this embodiment, the construct further comprises regulatory sequences, including, for example, a promoter, operably linked to the protein encoding sequence. Large numbers of suitable vectors and promoters are known to those of skill in the art.

Promoter/Gene Constructs

As discussed above, to obtain high levels of expression in a particular host it is often useful to express C1 β-glucosidase under control of a heterologous promoter (such as the C1 cbh1a gene promoter). Typically a promoter sequence may be operably linked to the 5′ region of the C1 β-glucosidase coding sequence. It will be recognized that in making such a construct it is not necessary to define the bounds of a minimal promoter. Instead, the DNA sequence 5′ to the C1 β-glucosidase start codon can be replaced with DNA sequence that is 5′ to the start codon of a given heterologous gene (e.g., cbh1a). This 5′ “heterologous” sequence thus includes, in addition to the promoter elements per se, a transcription start signal and the sequence of the 5′ untranslated portion of the transcribed chimeric mRNA. Thus, the promoter-gene construct and resulting mRNA will comprise a sequence encoding β-glucosidase and a heterologous 5′ sequence upstream to the start codon of the sequence encoding β-glucosidase. In some, but not all, cases the heterologous 5′ sequence will immediately abut the start codon of the sequence encoding β-glucosidase.

SEQ ID NOs:13 and 15 represent gene sequence immediately 5′ to the start codon of the naturally occurring C1 BGL1 pre-protein, and SEQ ID NOs:14, 16 and 17 are fragments of SEQ ID NO:13 terminating slighty upstream of the start codon. In one embodiment, the recombinant C1 β-glucosidase is expressed from a recombinant gene as a pre-protein that includes the naturally occurring BGL1 signal peptide, and the recombinant gene sequence 5′ to the β-glucosidase start codon is not SEQ ID NO:13. More generally, SEQ ID NO:14 is not found within the 100 bases 5′ to the β-glucosidase start codon in the recombinant sequence. That is, the recombinant β-glucosidase gene encodes an RNA comprising a sequence encoding SEQ ID NO:4 or a variant thereof, but does not comprise a 5′ untranslated sequence containing SEQ ID NO:13, or alternatively does not comprise SEQ ID NO:14 or does not comprise SEQ ID NO:15. In other embodiments the 5′ untranslated sequence does not contain SEQ ID NO:15, or alternatively SEQ ID NO:16, or alternatively SEQ ID NO:17.

In one embodiment of the gene construct of the present invention, the C1 β-glucosidase is expressed from the construct as a pre-protein with a heterologous signal peptide, where, in the construct, SEQ ID NO:13 is not 5′ to the start codon of the heterologous signal peptide. More generally, in the construct, SEQ ID NO:14 is not found within the 100 bases 5′ to the start codon of the heterologous signal peptide. That is, the recombinant β-glucosidase gene construct encodes an RNA comprising a sequence encoding SEQ ID NO:3, or a variant thereof and a heterologous signal peptide, but does not comprise a 5′ untranslated sequence containing SEQ ID NO:13. In other embodiments the 5′ untranslated sequence does not contain SEQ ID NO:14, or alternatively does not contain SEQ ID NO:15, or alternatively does not contain SEQ ID NO:16, or alternatively does not contain SEQ ID NO:17.

In some embodiments the heterologous promoter is operably linked to a C1 β-glucosidase genomic sequence comprising SEQ ID NO:18, which is the sequence of intron 1 of bgl1.

In some embodiments the heterologous promoter is operably linked to a C1 β-glucosidase cDNA sequence and does not comprise SEQ ID NO:19 (intronic sequence) and/or does not comprise an amino acid sequence encoded in SEQ ID NO:19.

In some embodiments the construct includes SEQ ID NO:20 (the first exon of C1 β-glucosidase) and/or the amino acid sequence encoded in SEQ ID NO:20.

In some embodiments the construct includes SEQ ID NO:21.

Examples of useful promoters for expression of β-glucosidase polynucleotides include promoters from fungi. For example, promoter sequences that drive expression of genes other than the β-glucosidase 1 gene in C1 may be used. For example, a fungal promoter from a gene encoding cellobiohydrolase may be used. In one embodiment the promoter associated with the C1 cellobiohydrolase 1 (cbh1a) gene is used. A promoter sequence associated with cbh1a is provided in FIG. 4. Also see PCT publication WO 01/79507 and U.S. patent publication US 2003/0187243 (both of which are incorporated herein by reference), providing the DNA sequence of the complete C1 CBH1a gene, including promoter and terminator sequences

It will be appreciated that a subsequence of SEQ ID NO:8 or a variant of the CBH1a promoter may be used to drive expression of β-glucosidase. In certain embodiments the heterologous promoter operably linked to the β-glucosidase-encoding sequence comprises SEQ ID NO:8, a subsequence of SEQ ID NO:8 with promoter activity or a DNA sequence capable of hybridizing with the complement of SEQ ID NO:8 and having promoter activity. A subsequence of SEQ ID NO:8 having promoter activity can be identified using well known methods. In one approach, a putative promoter sequence is linked 5′ to a sequence encoding a reporter protein, the construct is transfected into the host cell (e.g., C1) and the level of expression of the reporter is measured. Expression of the reporter can be determined by measuring, for example, mRNA levels of the reporter sequence, an enzymatic activity of the reporter protein, or the amount of reporter protein produced. For example, promoter activity may be determined by using the green fluorescent protein as coding sequence (Henriksen et al, 1999, Microbiology 145:729-34) or a lacZ reporter gene (Punt et al, 1997, Gene, 197:189-93). Functional promoters may be derived from naturally occurring promoter sequences by directed evolution methods. See, e.g. Wright et al., 2005, Human Gene Therapy, 16:881-892. In some embodiments the promoter DNA comprises nucleotides 1 to 1817 of SEQ ID NO:8, nucleotides 100 to 1800 of SEQ ID NO:8, nucleotides 200 to 1800 of SEQ ID NO:6, nucleotides 300 to 1800 of SEQ ID NO:8, nucleotides 400 to 1800 of SEQ ID NO:8, nucleotides 500 to 1800 of SEQ ID NO:8, nucleotides 600 to 1800 of SEQ ID NO:8., nucleotides 700 to 1800 of SEQ ID NO:8, nucleotides 800 to 1800 of SEQ ID NO:8, nucleotides 900 to 1800 of SEQ ID NO:8; nucleotides 1000 to 1800 of SEQ ID NO:8, nucleotides 1100 to 1800 of SEQ ID NO:8, nucleotides 1200 to 1800 of SEQ ID NO:8, nucleotides 1300 to 1800 of SEQ ID NO:8, nucleotides 1400 to 1800 of SEQ ID NO:8, nucleotides 1500 to 1800 of SEQ ID NO:8, nucleotides 1600 to 1800 of SEQ ID NO:8, nucleotides 1700 to 1800 of SEQ ID NO:8, or is a polynucleotide that hybridizes under low stringency to the complement of the sequence or subsequence identified above, preferably hybridizes under medium stringency and most preferably hybridizes under high stringency.

Examples of other suitable promoters useful for directing the transcription of the nucleotide constructs of the present invention in a filamentous fungal host cell are promoters obtained from the genes for Aspergillus oryzae TAKA amylase, Rhizomucor miehei aspartic proteinase, Aspergillus niger neutral alpha-amylase, Aspergillus niger acid stable alpha-amylase, Aspergillus niger or Aspergillus awamori glucoamylase (glaA), Rhizomucor miehei lipase, Aspergillus oryzae alkaline protease, Aspergillus oryzae triose phosphate isomerase, Aspergillus nidulans acetamidase, and Fusarium oxysporum trypsin-like protease (WO 96/00787, which is incorporated herein by reference), as well as the NA2-tpi promoter (a hybrid of the promoters from the genes for Aspergillus niger neutral alpha-amylase and Aspergillus oryzae triose phosphate isomerase), promoters such as cbh1, cbh2, egl1, egl2, pepA, hfb1, hfb2, xyn1, amy, and glaA (Nunberg et al., Mol. Cell Biol., 4:2306 -2315 (1984), Boel et al., EMBO J. 3:1581-1585 ((1984) and EPA 137280, all of which are incorporated herein by reference), and mutant, truncated, and hybrid promoters thereof. In a yeast host, useful promoters can be from the genes for Saccharomyces cerevisiae enolase (ENO-1), Saccharomyces cerevisiae galactokinase (GAL1), Saccharomyces cerevisiae alcohol dehydrogenase/glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (ADH2/GAP), and Saccharomyces cerevisiae 3-phosphoglycerate kinase. Other useful promoters for yeast host cells are described by Romanos et al., 1992, Yeast 8:423-488. Promoters associated with chitinase production in fungi may be used. See, e.g., Blaiseau and Lafay, 1992, Gene 120243-248 (filamentous fungus Aphanocladium album); Limon et al., 1995, Curr. Genet, 28:478-83 [Trichoderma harzianum], both of which are incorporated herein by reference.

Promoters known to control expression of genes in prokaryotic or eukaryotic cells or their viruses and which can be used in some embodiments of the invention include SV40 promoter, E. coli lac or trp promoter, phage lambda P_(L) promoter, tac promoter, T7 promoter, and the like. In bacterial host cells, suitable promoters include the promoters obtained from the E. coli lac operon, Streptomyces coelicolor agarase gene (dagA), Bacillus subtilis levansucranse gene (sacB), Bacillus licheniformis alpha-amylase gene (amyl), Bacillus stearothermophilus maltogenic amylase gene (amyM), Bacillus amyloliquefaciens alpha-amylase gene (amyQ), Bacillus subtilis xylA and xylB genes and prokaryotic β-lactamase gene.

An expression vector optionally contains a ribosome binding site for translation initiation, and a transcription terminator, such as PinII. The vector also optionally includes appropriate sequences for amplifying expression, e.g., an enhancer.

In addition, expression vectors of the present invention optionally contain one or more selectable marker genes to provide a phenotypic trait for selection of transformed host cells. Suitable marker genes include those coding for antibiotic resistance such as, ampicillin (ampR), kanamycin, chloramphenicol, or tetracycline resistance. Further examples include the antibiotic spectinomycin or streptomycin (e.g., the aada gene), the streptomycin phosphotransferase (SPT) gene coding for streptomycin resistance, the neomycin phosphotransferase (NPTII) gene encoding kanamycin or geneticin resistance, the hygromycin phosphotransferase (HPT) gene coding for hygromycin resistance. Additional selectable marker genes include dihydrofolate reductase or neomycin resistance for eukaryotic cell culture, and tetracycline or ampicillin resistance in E. coli.

An exemplary expression vector for the expression of β-glucosidase polypeptides of the invention is described in Example 3, hereinbelow.

Synthesis and Manipulation of β-Glucosidase Polynucleotides

Polynucleotides encoding β-glucosidase can be prepared using methods that are well known in the art. Typically, oligonucleotides of up to about 40 bases are individually synthesized, then joined (e.g., by enzymatic or chemical ligation methods, or polymerase-mediated methods) to form essentially any desired continuous sequence. For example, polynucleotides of the present invention can be prepared by chemical synthesis using, for example, the classical phosphoramidite method described by Beaucage, et al., 1981, Tetrahedron Letters, 22:1859-69, or the method described by Matthes, et al., 1984, EMBO J. 3:801-05, both of which are incorporated herein by reference. These methods are typically practiced in automated synthetic methods. According to the phosphoramidite method, oligonucleotides are synthesized, e.g., in an automatic DNA synthesizer, purified, annealed, ligated and cloned in appropriate vectors.

In addition, essentially any nucleic acid can be custom ordered from any of a variety of commercial sources, such as The Midland Certified Reagent Company (Midland, Tex.), The Great American Gene Company (Ramona, Calif.), ExpressGen Inc. (Chicago, Ill.), Operon Technologies Inc. (Alameda, Calif.), and many others.

Polynucleotides may also be synthesized by well-known techniques as described in the technical literature. See, e.g., Carruthers, et al., 1982, Cold Spring Harbor Symp. Quant. Biol., 47:411-18 and Adams et al., 1983, J. Am. Chem. Soc. 105:661, both of which are incorporated herein by reference. Double stranded DNA fragments may then be obtained either by synthesizing the complementary strand and annealing the strands together under appropriate conditions, or by adding the complementary strand using DNA polymerase with an appropriate primer sequence.

General texts that describe molecular biological techniques which are useful herein, including the use of vectors, promoters, protocols sufficient to direct persons of skill through in vitro amplification methods, including the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and the ligase chain reaction (LCR), and many other relevant methods, include Berger and Kimmel, Guide to Molecular Cloning Techniques, Methods in Enzymology volume 152 Academic Press, Inc., San Diego, Calif. (Berger); Sambrook et al., Molecular Cloning—A Laboratory Manual (2nd Ed.), Vol. 1-3, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, N.Y., 1989 (“Sambrook”) and Current Protocols in Molecular Biology, F. M. Ausubel et al., eds., Current Protocols, a joint venture between Greene Publishing Associates, Inc. and John Wiley & Sons, Inc., (supplemented through 1999) (“Ausubel”), all of which are incorporated herein by reference. Reference is made to Berger, Sambrook, and Ausubel, as well as Mullis et al., (1987) U.S. Pat. No. 4,683,202; PCR Protocols A Guide to Methods and Applications (Innis et al. eds) Academic Press Inc. San Diego, Calif. (1990) (Innis); Arnheim & Levinson (Oct. 1, 1990) C&EN 36-47; The Journal Of NIH Research (1991) 3, 81-94; (Kwoh et al. (1989) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 86, 1173; Guatelli et al. (1990) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 87, 1874; Lomeli et al. (1989) J. Clin. Chem 35, 1826; Landegren et al., (1988) Science 241, 1077-1080; Van Brunt (1990) Biotechnology 8, 291-294; Wu and Wallace, (1989) Gene 4, 560; Barringer et al. (1990) Gene 89, 117, and Sooknanan and Malek (1995) Biotechnology 13: 563-564, all of which are incorporated herein by reference. Methods for cloning in vitro amplified nucleic acids are described in Wallace et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,426,039, which is incorporated herein by reference.

Expression Hosts

The present invention also provides engineered (recombinant) host cells that are transformed with an expression vector or DNA construct encoding β-glucosidase. Optionally β-glucosidase expression in the cell is under the control of a heterologous promoter. Host cells of the invention may be used to produce β-glucosidase polypeptides. Thus, the present invention is directed to a host cell comprising any β-glucosidase polynucleotide of the present invention that is described hereinabove. As used herein, a genetically modified or recombinant host cell includes the progeny of said host cell that comprises a β-glucosidase polynucleotide which encodes a recombinant polypeptide of the invention. In some embodiments, the genetically modified or recombinant host cell is a eukaryotic cell. Suitable eukaryotic host cells include, but are not limited to, fungal cells, algal cells, insect cells, and plant cells. In some cases host cells may be modified to increase protein expression, secretion or stability, or to confer other desired characteristics. Cells (e.g., fungi) that have been mutated or selected to have low protease activity are particularly useful for expression. For example, C1 strains in which the alp1 (alkaline protease) locus has been deleted or disrupted may be used.

Suitable fungal host cells include, but are not limited to, Ascomycota, Basidiomycota, Deuteromycota, Zygomycota, Fungi imperfecti. Particularly preferred fungal host cells are yeast cells and filamentous fungal cells. The filamentous fungal host cells of the present invention include all filamentous forms of the subdivision Eumycotina and Oomycota. (see, for example, Hawksworth et al., In Ainsworth and Bisby's Dictionary of The Fungi, 8^(th) edition, 1995, CAB International, University Press, Cambridge, UK, which is incorporated herein by reference). Filamentous fungi are characterized by a vegetative mycelium with a cell wall composed of chitin, cellulose and other complex polysaccharides. The filamentous fungal host cells of the present invention are morphologically distinct from yeast.

In one embodiment the host cell is a C1 cell. In one embodiment the host cell is a cell of a Myceliophthora species, such as Myceliophthora thermophila. In some embodiments the filamentous fungal host cell may be a cell of a species of, but not limited to Achlya, Acremonium, Aspergillus, Aureobasidium, Bjerkandera, Ceriporiopsis, Cephalosporium, Chrysosporium, Cochliobolus, Corynascus, Cryphonectria, Cryptococcus, Coprinus, Coriolus, Diplodia, Endothis, Fusarium, Gibberella, Gliocladium, Humicola, Hypocrea, Myceliophthora, Mucor, Neurospora, Penicillium, Podospora, Phlebia, Piromyces, Pyricularia, Rhizomucor, Rhizopus, Schizophyllum, Scytalidium, Sporotrichum, Talaromyces, Thermoascus, Thielavia, Trametes, Tolypocladium, Trichoderma, Verticillium, Volvariella, or teleomorphs, or anamorphs, and synonyms or taxonomic equivalents thereof. In some embodiments the host cell is other than a C1 cell or is other than a Myceliophthora species.

In some embodiments of the invention, the filamentous fungal host cell is of the Aspergillus species, Ceriporiopsis species, Chrysosporium species, Corynascus species, Fusarium species, Humicola species, Neurospora species, Penicillium species, Tolypocladium species, Tramates species, or Trichoderma species.

In some embodiments of the invention, the filamentous fungal host cell is of the Trichoderma species, e.g., T. longibrachiatum, T. viride (e.g., ATCC 32098 and 32086), Hypocrea jecorina or T. reesei (NRRL 15709, ATTC 13631, 56764, 56765, 56466, 56767 and RL-P37 and derivatives thereof—See Sheir-Neiss et al., 1984, Appl. Microbiol. Biotechnology, 20:46-53, which is incorporated herein by reference), T. koningii, and T. harzianum. In addition, the term “Trichoderma” refers to any fungal strain that was previously classified as Trichoderma or currently classified as Trichoderma.

In some embodiments of the invention, the filamentous fungal host cell is of the Aspergillus species, e.g., A. awamori, A. funigatus, A. japonicus, A. nidulans, A. niger, A. aculeatus, A. foetidus, A. oryzae, A. sojae, and A. kawachi. (Reference is made to Kelly and Hynes, 1985, EMBO J. 4,475479; NRRL 3112, ATCC 11490, 22342, 44733, and 14331; Yelton et al., 1984, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, 81, 1470-1474; Tilburn et al., 1982, Gene 26,205-221; and Johnston et al., 1985, EMBO J. 4, 1307-1311, all of which are incorporated herein by reference).

In some embodiments of the invention, the filamentous fungal host cell is of the Fusarium species, e.g., F. bactridioides, F. cerealis, F. crookwellense, F. culmorum, F. graminearum, F. graminum. F. oxysporum, F. roseum, and F. venenatum. In some embodiments of the invention, the filamentous fungal host cell is of the Neurospora species, e.g., N. crassa. Reference is made to Case, Me. et al., (1979) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, 76, 5259-5263; U.S. Pat. No. 4,486,553; and Kinsey, J. A. and J. A. Rambosek (1984) Molecular and Cellular Biology 4, 117-122, all of which are incorporated herein by reference. In some embodiments of the invention, the filamentous fungal host cell is of the Humicola species, e.g., H. insolens, H. grisea, and H. lanuginosa. In some embodiments of the invention, the filamentous fungal host cell is of the Mucor species, e.g., M. miehei and M. circinelloides. In some embodiments of the invention, the filamentous fungal host cell is of the Rhizopus species, e.g., R. oryzae and R. niveus. In some embodiments of the invention, the filamentous fungal host cell is of the Penicillum species, e.g., P. purpurogenum, P. chrysogenum, and P. verruculosum. In some embodiments of the invention, the filamentous fungal host cell is of the Thielavia species, e.g., T. terrestris. In some embodiments of the invention, the filamentous fungal host cell is of the Tolypocladium species, e.g., T. inflatum and T. geodes. In some embodiments of the invention, the filamentous fungal host cell is of the Trametes species, e.g., T. villosa and T. versicolor.

In some embodiments of the invention. the filamentous fungal host cell is of the Chrysosporium species, e.g., C. lucknowense, C. keratinophilum, C. tropicum, C. merdarium, C. inops, C. pannicola, and C. zonatum. In a particular embodiment the host is C. lucknowense.

In the present invention a yeast host cell may be a cell of a species of, but not limited to Candida, Hansenula, Saccharomyces, Schizosaccharomyces, Pichia, Kluyveromyces, and Yarrowia. In some embodiments of the invention, the yeast cell is Hansenula polymorpha, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Saccaromyces carlsbergensis, Saccharomyces diastaticus, Saccharomyces norbensis, Saccharomyces kluyveri, Schizosaccharomyces pombe, Pichia pastoris, Pichia finlandica, Pichia trehalophila, Pichia kodamae, Pichia membranaefaciens, Pichia opuntiae, Pichia thermotolerans, Pichia salictaria, Pichia quercuum, Pichia pijperi, Pichia stipitis, Pichia methanolica, Pichia angusta, Kluyveromyces lactis, Candida albicans, and Yarrowia lipolytica.

In some embodiments on the invention, the host cell is an algal such as, Chlamydomonas (e.g., C. Reinhardtii) and Phormidium (P. sp. ATCC29409).

In other embodiments, the host cell is a prokaryotic cell. Suitable prokaryotic cells include gram positive, gram negative and gram-variable bacterial cells. The host cell may be a species of, but not limited to Agrobacterium, Alicyclobacillus, Anabaena, Anacystis, Acinetobacter, Acidothermus, Arthrobacter, Azobacter, Bacillus, Bifidobacterium, Brevibacterium, Butyrivibrio, Buchnera, Campestris, Camplyobacter, Clostridium, Corynebacterium, Chromatium, Coprococcus, Escherichia, Enterococcus, Enterobacter, Erwinia, Fusobacterium, Faecalibacterium, Francisella, Flavobacterium, Geobacillus, Haemophilus, Helicobacter, Klebsiella, Lactobacillus, Lactococcus, Ilyobacter, Micrococcus, Microbacterium, Mesorhizobium, Methylobacterium, Methylobacterium, Mycobacterium, Neisseria, Pantoea, Pseudomonas, Prochlorococcus, Rhodobacter, Rhodopseudomonas, Rhodopseudomonas, Roseburia, Rhodospirillum, Rhodococcus, Scenedesmus, Streptomyces, Streptococcus, Synecoccus, Saccharomonospora, Staphylococcus, Serratia, Salmonella, Shigella, Thermoanaerobacterium, Tropheryma, Tularensis, Temecula, Thermosynechococcus, Thermococcus, Ureaplasma, Xanthomonas, Xylella, Yersinia and Zymomonas.

In some embodiments, the host cell is a species of Agrobacterium, Acinetobacter, Azobacter, Bacillus, Bifidobacterium, Buchnera, Geobacillus, Campylobacter, Clostridium, Corynebacterium, Escherichia, Enterococcus, Erwinia, Flavobacterium, Lactobacillus, Lactococcus, Pantoea, Pseudomonas, Staphylococcus, Salmonella, Streptococcus, Streptomyces, and Zymomonas.

In yet other embodiments, the bacterial host strain is non-pathogenic to humans. In some embodiments the bacterial host strain is an industrial strain. Numerous bacterial industrial strains are known and suitable in the present invention.

In some embodiments of the invention the bacterial host cell is of the Agrobacterium species, e.g., A. radiobacter, A. rhizogenes, and A. rubi. In some embodiments of the invention the bacterial host cell is of the Arthrobacter species, e.g., A. aurescens, A. citreus, A. globformis, A. hydrocarboglutamicus, A. mysorens, A. nicotianae, A. paraffineus, A. protophonniae, A. roseoparqffinus, A. sulfureus, and A. ureafaciens. In some embodiments of the invention the bacterial host cell is of the Bacillus species, e.g., B. thuringiensis, B. anthracis, B. megaterium, B. subtilis, B. lentus, B. circulans, B. pumilus, B. lautus, B.coagulans, B. brevis, B. firmus, B. alkaophius, B. licheniformis, B. clausii, B. stearothermophilus, B. halodurans and B. amyloliquefaciens. In particular embodiments, the host cell will be an industrial Bacillus strain including but not limited to B. subtilis, B. pumilus, B. licheniformis, B. megaterium, B. clausii, B. stearothermophilus and B. amyloliquefaciens. Some preferred embodiments of a Bacillus host cell include B. subtilis, B. licheniformis, B. megaterium, B. stearothermophilus and B. amyloliquefaciens. In some embodiments the bacterial host cell is of the Clostridium species, e.g., C. acetobutylicum, C. tetani E88, C. lituseburense, C. saccharobutylicum, C. perfringens, and C. beijerinckii. In some embodiments the bacterial host cell is of the Corynebacterium species e.g., C. glutamicum and C. acetoacidophilum. In some embodiments the bacterial host cell is of the Escherichia species, e.g., E. coli. In some embodiments the bacterial host cell is of the Erwinia species, e.g., E. uredovora, E. carotovora, E. ananas, E. herbicola, E. punctata, and E. terreus. In some embodiments the bacterial host cell is of the Pantoea species, e.g., P. citrea, and P. agglomerans. In some embodiments the bacterial host cell is of the Pseudomonas species, e.g., P. putida, P. aeruginosa, P. mevalonii, and P. sp. D-0I 10. In some embodiments the bacterial host cell is of the Streptococcus species, e.g., S. equisimiles, S. pyogenes, and S. uberis. In some embodiments the bacterial host cell is of the Streptomyces species, e.g., S. ambofaciens, S. achromogenes, S. avermitilis, S. coelicolor, S. aureofaciens, S. aureus, S. fungicidicus, S. griseus, and S. lividans. In some embodiments the bacterial host cell is of the Zymomonas species, e.g., Z. mobilis, and Z. lipolytica.

Strains that may be used in the practice of the invention including both prokaryotic and eukaryotic strains, are readily accessible to the public from a number of culture collections such as American Type Culture Collection (ATCC), Deutsche Sammlung von Mikroorganismen and Zellkulturen GmbH (DSM), Centraalbureau Voor Schimmelcultures (CBS), and Agricultural Research Service Patent Culture Collection, Northern Regional Research Center (NRRL).

Host cells may be genetically modified to have characteristics that improve protein secretion, protein stability or other properties desirable for expression and/or secretion of a protein. Genetic modification can be achieved by genetic engineering techniques or using classical microbiological techniques, such as chemical or UV mutagenesis and subsequent selection. A combination of recombinant modification and classical selection techniques may be used to produce the organism of interest. Using recombinant technology, nucleic acid molecules can be introduced, deleted, inhibited or modified, in a manner that results in increased yields of β-glucosidase within the organism or in the culture. For example, knock out of Alp1 function results in a cell that does not express most or all cellulases. Knock out of pyr5 function results in a cell with a pyrimidine deficient phenotype.

Transformation

Introduction of a vector or DNA construct into a host cell can be effected by calcium phosphate transfection, DEAE-Dextran mediated transfection, electroporation, or other common techniques (See Davis et al., 1986, Basic Methods in Molecular Biology, which is incorporated herein by reference). One method for transformation of C1 host cells is described in Example 4, below. Transformation of C1 host cells is known in the art (see, e.g., US 2008/0194005 which is incorporated herein by reference).

Culture Conditions

The engineered host cells can be cultured in conventional nutrient media modified as appropriate for activating promoters, selecting transformants, or amplifying the β-glucosidase polynucleotide. Culture conditions, such as temperature, pH and the like, are those previously used with the host cell selected for expression, and will be apparent to those skilled in the art. As noted, many references are available for the culture and production of many cells, including cells of bacterial, plant, animal (especially mammalian) and archebacterial origin. See e.g., Sambrook, Ausubel, and Berger (all supra), as well as Freshney (1994) Culture of Animal Cells, a Manual of Basic Technique, third edition, Wiley-Liss, New York and the references cited therein; Doyle and Griffiths (1997) Mammalian Cell Culture: Essential Techniques John Wiley and Sons, NY; Humason (1979) Animal Tissue Techniques, fourth edition W.H. Freeman and Company; and Ricciardelli, et al., (1989) In vitro Cell Dev. Biol. 25:1016-1024, all of which are incorporated herein by reference. For plant cell culture and regeneration, Payne et al. (1992) Plant Cell and Tissue Culture in Liquid Systems John Wiley & Sons, Inc. New York, N.Y.; Gamborg and Phillips (eds) (1995) Plant Cell, Tissue and Organ Culture; Fundamental Methods Springer Lab Manual, Springer-Verlag (Berlin Heidelberg New York); Jones, ed. (1984) Plant Gene Transfer and Expression Protocols, Humana Press, Totowa, New Jersey and Plant Molecular Biology (1993) R. R. D. Croy, Ed. Bios Scientific Publishers, Oxford, U.K. ISBN 0 12 198370 6, all of which are incorporated herein by reference. Cell culture media in general are set forth in Atlas and Parks (eds.) The Handbook of Microbiological Media (1993) CRC Press, Boca Raton, Fla., which is incorporated herein by reference. Additional information for cell culture is found in available commercial literature such as the Life Science Research Cell Culture Catalogue (1998) from Sigma-Aldrich, Inc (St Louis, Mo.) (“Sigma-LSRCCC”) and, for example, The Plant Culture Catalogue and supplement (1997) also from Sigma-Aldrich, Inc (St Louis, Mo.) (“Sigma-PCCS”), all of which are incorporated herein by reference.

Culture conditions for C1 host cells are known in the art and can be readily determined by one of skill. See, e.g., US 2008/0194005, US 20030187243, WO 2008/073914 and WO 01/79507, which are incorporated herein by reference.

In some embodiments, cells expressing the β-glucosidase polypeptides of the invention are grown under batch or continuous fermentations conditions. Classical batch fermentation is a closed system, wherein the compositions of the medium is set at the beginning of the fermentation and is not subject to artificial alternations during the fermentation. A variation of the batch system is a fed-batch fermentation which also finds use in the present invention. In this variation, the substrate is added in increments as the fermentation progresses. Fed-batch systems are useful when catabolite repression is likely to inhibit the metabolism of the cells and where it is desirable to have limited amounts of substrate in the medium. Batch and fed-batch fermentations are common and well known in the art. Continuous fermentation is an open system where a defined fermentation medium is added continuously to a bioreactor and an equal amount of conditioned medium is removed simultaneously for processing. Continuous fermentation generally maintains the cultures at a constant high density where cells are primarily in log phase growth. Continuous fermentation systems strive to maintain steady state growth conditions. Methods for modulating nutrients and growth factors for continuous fermentation processes as well as techniques for maximizing the rate of product formation are well known in the art of industrial microbiology.

Cell-free transcription/translation systems can also be employed to produce β-glucosidase polypeptides using the polynucleotides of the present invention. Several such systems are commercially available. A general guide to in vitro transcription and translation protocols is found in Tymms (1995) In vitro Transcription and Translation Protocols: Methods in Molecular Biology, Volume 37, Garland Publishing, NY, which is incorporated herein by reference.

V. PRODUCTION AND RECOVERY OF B-GLUCOSIDASE POLYPEPTIDES

The present invention is directed to a method of making a polypeptide having β-glucosidase activity, the method comprising providing a host cell transformed with any one of the described β-glucosidase polynucleotides of the present invention; culturing the transformed host cell in a culture medium under conditions in which the host cell expresses the encoded β-glucosidase polypeptide; and optionally recovering or isolating the expressed β-glucosidase polypeptide, or recovering or isolating the culture medium containing the expressed β-glucosidase polypeptide. The method further provides optionally lysing the transformed host cells after expressing the encoded β-glucosidase polypeptide and optionally recovering or isolating the expressed β-glucosidase polypeptide from the cell lysate. The present invention further provides a method of making a β-glucosidase polypeptide, said method comprising cultivating a host cell transformed with a β-glucosidase polynucleotide under conditions suitable for the production of the β-glucosidase polypeptide and recovering the β-glucosidase polypeptide. In a further embodiment, the present invention provides a method of over-expressing (i.e., making) a C1 β-glucosidase polypeptide comprising: (a) providing a recombinant C1 host cell comprising a nucleic acid construct, wherein the nucleic acid construct comprises a polynucleotide sequence that encodes a mature C1 β-glucosidase of the present invention and the nucleic acid construct optionally also comprises a polynucleotide sequence encoding a signal peptide at the amino terminus of said mature β-glucosidase, wherein the polynucleotide sequence encoding the mature C1β-glucosidase and optional signal peptide is operably linked to a heterologous promoter; and (b) culturing the host cell in a culture medium under conditions in which the host cell expresses the encoded β-glucosidase polypeptide, wherein the level of expression of β-glucosidase from the host cell is at least about 2-fold greater than that from wildtype C1 cultured under the same conditions. β-glucosidase polypeptide expression may be measured using a para-nitrophenyl-β-D-glucopyranoside (pNPG) β-glucosidase activity assay, such as that described in Example 5. Expression (i.e., activity) of secreted β-glucosidase may be measured. Alternatively expression of total β-glucosidase acitvity in the culture may be determined. The signal peptide employed in this method may be any heterologous signal peptide known in the art or may be the wildtype C1 β-glucosidase signal peptide (SEQ ID NO:6). In some embodiments, the level of overexpression is at least about 5-fold, 10-fold, 12-fold, 15-fold, 20-fold, 25-fold, 30-fold, or 35-fold greater than expression of β-glucosidase from wildtype C1.

Typically, recovery or isolation of the β-glucosidase polypeptide is from the host cell culture medium, the host cell or both, using protein recovery techniques that are well known in the art, including those described herein. Cells are typically harvested by centrifugation, disrupted by physical or chemical means, and the resulting crude extract may be retained for further purification. Microbial cells employed in expression of proteins can be disrupted by any convenient method, including freeze-thaw cycling, sonication, mechanical disruption, or use of cell lysing agents, or other methods, which are well known to those skilled in the art.

The resulting polypeptide may be recovered/isolated and optionally purified by any of a number of methods known in the art. For example, the polypeptide may be isolated from the nutrient medium by conventional procedures including, but not limited to, centrifugation, filtration, extraction, spray-drying, evaporation, chromatography (e.g., ion exchange, affinity, hydrophobic interaction, chromatofocusing, and size exclusion),or precipitation. Protein refolding steps can be used, as desired, in completing the configuration of the mature protein. Finally, high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) can be employed in the final purification steps. Purification of BGL1 is described in US patent publication US 2007/0238155, incorporated herein by reference. In addition to the references noted supra, a variety of purification methods are well known in the art, including, for example, those set forth in Sandana (1997) Bioseparation of Proteins, Academic Press, Inc.; Bollag et al. (1996) Protein Methods, 2^(nd) Edition, Wiley-Liss, NY; Walker (1996) The Protein Protocols Handbook Humana Press, NJ; Harris and Angal (1990) Protein Purification Applications: A Practical Approach, IRL Press at Oxford, Oxford, England; Harris and Angal Protein Purification Methods: A Practical Approach, IRL Press at Oxford, Oxford, England; Scopes (1993) Protein Purification: Principles and Practice 3^(rd) Edition, Springer Verlag, NY; Janson and Ryden (1998) Protein Purification: Principles, High Resolution Methods and Applications, Second Edition, Wiley-VCH, NY; and Walker (1998) Protein Protocols on CD-ROM, Humana Press, NJ, all of which are incorporated herein by reference. In some cases, the purified protein may be purified to near homogeneity or may constitute at least 20%, at least 30% or at least 50% of the protein in the composition.

Immunological methods may be used to purify β-glucosidase polypeptides. In one approach antibody raised against the β-glucosidase polypeptides (e.g., against a polypeptide comprising SEQ ID NO:5) using conventional methods is immobilized on beads, mixed with cell culture media under conditions in which the β-glucosidase is bound, and precipitated. In a related approach immunochromatograpy is used.

As noted, in some embodiments the β-glucosidase is expressed as a fusion protein including a non-enzyme portion. In some embodiments the β-glucosidase sequence is fused to a purification facilitating domain. As used herein, the term “purification facilitating domain” refers to a domain that mediates purification of the polypeptide to which it is fused. Suitable purification domains include metal chelating peptides, histidine-tryptophan modules that allow purification on immobilized metals, a sequence which binds glutathione (e.g., GST), a hemagglutinin (HA) tag (corresponding to an epitope derived from the influenza hemagglutinin protein; Wilson et al. (1984) Cell, 37:767), maltose binding protein sequences, the FLAG epitope utilized in the FLAGS extension/affinity purification system (Immunex Corp, Seattle, Wash.), and the like. The inclusion of a protease-cleavable polypeptide linker sequence between the purification domain and the HHDH polypeptide is useful to facilitate purification. One expression vector contemplated for use in the compositions and methods described herein provides for expression of a fusion protein comprising a polypeptide of the invention fused to a polyhistidine region separated by an enterokinase cleavage site. The histidine residues facilitate purification on IMIAC (immobilized metal ion affinity chromatography, as described in Porath et al. (1992) Protein Expression and Purification 3:263-281) while the enterokinase cleavage site provides a means for separating the HHDH polypeptide from the fusion protein. pGEX vectors (Promega; Madison, Wis.) may also be used to express foreign polypeptides as fusion proteins with glutathione S-transferase (GST). In general, such fusion proteins are soluble and can easily be purified from lysed cells by adsorption to ligand-agarose beads (e.g., glutathione-agarose in the case of GST-fusions) followed by elution in the presence of free ligand.

VI. METHODS OF USING B-GLUCOSIDASE POLYPEPTIDES AND CELLS EXPRESSING B-GLUCOSIDASE POLYPEPTIDES

As described supra, β-glucosidase polypeptides of the present invention can be used to catalyze the hydrolysis of a sugar dimer with the release of the corresponding sugar monomer, for example the conversion of cellobiose with the release of glucose. Thus, the present invention provides a method for producing glucose, by (a) providing a cellobiose; and (b) contacting the cellobiose with a β-glucosidase polypeptide of the invention under conditions sufficient to form a reaction mixture for converting the cellobiose to glucose. The β-glucosidase polypeptide may be utilized in such methods in either isolated form or as part of a composition, such as any of those described herein. The β-glucosidase polypeptide may also be provided in cell culturing media or in a cell lysate. For example, after producing the β-glucosidase polypeptide by culturing a host cell transformed with a β-glucosidase polynucleotide or vector of the present invention, the β-glucosidase need not be isolated from the culture medium (i.e., if the β-glucosidase is secreted into the culture medium) or cell lysate (i.e., if the β-glucosidase is not secreted into the culture medium) or used in purified form to be useful in further methods of using the β-glucosidase polypeptide. Any composition, cell culture medium, or cell lysate containing a β-glucosidase polypeptide of the present invention may be suitable for using in methods that utilize a β-glucosidase. Therefore, the present invention further provides a method for producing glucose, by: (a) providing a cellobiose; and (b) contacting the cellobiose with a culture medium or cell lysate or composition comprising a β-glucosidase polypeptide of the present invention under conditions sufficient to form a reaction mixture for converting the cellobiose to glucose.

The present invention further provides compositions that are useful for the enzymatic conversion of cellobiose to glucose. For example, one or more β-glucosidase polypeptides of the present invention may be combined with another enzyme and/or an agent that alters the bulk material handling properties or further processability of the β-glucosidase(s) (e.g., a flow aid agent, water, buffer, a surfactant, and the like) or that improves the efficiency of the conversion of cellobiose to glucose, as described in more detail hereinbelow. The other enzyme may be a different R-glucosidase or another cellulase enzyme.

Cellulase Mixtures

For example, in some embodiments, the β-glucosidase is combined with other cellulases to form a cellulase mixture. The cellulase mixture may include cellulases selected from CBH, EG and BG cellulases (e.g., cellulases from Trichoderma reesei (e.g., C2730 Cellulase from Trichoderma reesei ATCC No. 25921, Sigma-Aldrich, Inc.), Acidothermus cellulolyticus, Thermobifida fusca, Humicola grisea and Chrysosporium sp.). The enzymes of the cellulase mixture work together resulting in decrystallization and hydrolysis of the cellulose from a biomass substrate to yield soluble sugars, such as but not limited to glucose (See Brigham et al., 1995, in Handbook on Bioethanol (C. Wyman ed.) pp 119-141, Taylor and Francis, Washington DC, which is incorporated herein by reference).

Cellulase mixtures for efficient enzymatic hydrolysis of cellulose are known (see, e.g., Viikari et al., 2007, “Thermostable enzymes in lignocellulose hydrolysis” Adv Biochem Eng Biotechnol 108:121-45, and US Pat. publications US 2009/0061484; US 2008/0057541; and US 2009/0209009 to logen Energy Corp.), each of which is incorporated herein by reference for all purposes. In some embodiments, mixtures of purified naturally occurring or recombinant enzymes are combined with cellulosic feedstock or a product of cellulose hydrolysis. Alternatively or in addition, one or more cells producing naturally occurring or recombinant cellulases may be used.

Other Components of β-Glucosidase Compositions

β-glucosidase polypeptides of the present invention may be used in combination with other optional ingredients such as a buffer, a surfactant, and/or a scouring agent. A buffer may be used with a β-glucosidase polypeptide of the present invention (optionally combined with other cellulases, including another β-glucosidase) to maintain a desired pH within the solution in which the β-glucosidase is employed. The exact concentration of buffer employed will depend on several factors which the skilled artisan can determine. Suitable buffers are well known in the art. A surfactant may further be used in combination with the cellulases of the present invention. Suitable surfactants include any surfactant compatible with the β-glucosidase and optional other cellulases being utilized. Exemplary surfactants include an anionic, a non-ionic, and ampholytic surfactants.

Suitable anionic surfactants include, but are not limited to, linear or branched alkylbenzenesulfonates; alkyl or alkenyl ether sulfates having linear or branched alkyl groups or alkenyl groups; alkyl or alkenyl sulfates; olefinsulfonates; alkanesulfonates, and the like. Suitable counter ions for anionic surfactants include, for example, alkali metal ions, such as sodium and potassium; alkaline earth metal ions, such as calcium and magnesium; ammonium ion; and alkanolamines having from 1 to 3 alkanol groups of carbon number 2 or 3. Ampholytic surfactants suitable for use in the practice of the present invention include, for example, quaternary ammonium salt sulfonates, betaine-type ampholytic surfactants, and the like. Suitable nonionic surfactants generally include polyoxalkylene ethers, as well as higher fatty acid alkanolamides or alkylene oxide adduct thereof, fatty acid glycerine monoesters, and the like. Mixtures of surfactants can also be employed as is known in the art.

Production of Fermentable Sugars From Cellulosic Biomass

β-glucosidase polypeptides of the present invention, as well as any composition, culture medium, or cell lysate comprising such β-glucosidase polypeptides, may be used in the production of monosaccharides, disaccharides, or oligomers of a mono- or di-saccharide as chemical or fermentation feedstock from biomass. As used herein, the term “biomass” refers to living or dead biological material that contains a polysaccharide substrate, such as, for example, cellulose, starch, and the like. Therefore, the present invention provides a method of converting a biomass substrate to a fermentable sugar, the method comprising contacting a culture medium or cell lysate containing a β-glucosidase polypeptide according to the invention, with the biomass substrate under conditions suitable for the production of the fermentable sugar. The present invention further provides a method of converting a biomass substrate to a fermentable sugar by (a) pretreating a cellulose substrate to increase its susceptibility to hydrolysis; (b) contacting the pretreated cellulose substrate of step (a) with a composition, culture medium or cell lysate containing a R-glucosidase polypeptide of the present invention (and optionally other cellulases) under conditions suitable for the production of the fermentable sugar.

In some embodiments, the biomass includes cellulosic substrates including but not limited to, wood, wood pulp, paper pulp, corn stover, corn fiber, rice, paper and pulp processing waste, woody or herbaceous plants, fruit or vegetable pulp, distillers grain, grasses, rice hulls, wheat straw, cotton, hemp, flax, sisal, corn cobs, sugar cane bagasse, switch grass and mixtures thereof. The biomass may optionally be pretreated to increase the susceptibility of cellulose to hydrolysis using methods known in the art such as chemical, physical and biological pretreatments (e.g., steam explosion, pulping, grinding, acid hydrolysis, solvent exposure, and the like, as well as combinations thereof). In some embodiments, the biomass comprises transgenic plants that express ligninase and/or cellulase enzymes which degrade lignin and cellulose. See, e.g., US 20080104724, which is incorporated herein by reference. The biomass may include cellobiose and/or may be treated enzymatically to generate cellobiose for conversion to a soluable sugar (e.g., glucose).

In some embodiments, the β-glucosidase polypeptide and β-glucosidase polypeptide-containing compositions, cell culture media, and cell lysates may be reacted with the biomass or pretreated biomass at a temperature in the range of about 25° C. to about 100° C., about 30° C. to about 90° C., about 30° C. to about 80° C., about 40° C. to about 80° C. and about 35° C. to about 75° C. Also the biomass may be reacted with the β-glucosidase polypeptides and β-glucosidase polypeptide-containing compositions, cell culture media, and cell lysates at a temperature about 25° C., at about 30° C., at about 35° C., at about 40° C., at about 45° C., at about 50° C., at about 55° C., at about 60° C., at about 65° C., at about 70° C., at about 75° C., at about 80° C., at about 85° C., at about 90° C., at about 95° C. and at about 100° C. In addition to the temperatures described above, conditions suitable for converting a biomass substrate to a fermentable sugar that employ a β-glucosidase polypeptide of the present invention (optionally in a composition, cell culture medium, or cell lysate) include carrying out the process at a pH in a range from about pH 3.0 to about 8.5, about pH 3.5 to about 8.5, about pH 4.0 to about 7.5, about pH 4.0 to about 7.0 and about pH 4.0 to about 6.5. Those having ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the reaction times for converting a particular biomass substrate to a fermentable sugar may vary but the optimal reaction time can be readily determined. Exemplary reaction times may be in the range of from about 1.0 to about 240 hours, from about 5.0 to about 180 hrs and from about 10.0 to about 150 hrs. For example, the incubation time may be at least 1 hr, at least 5 hrs, at least 10 hrs, at least 15 hrs, at least 25 hrs, at least 50 hr, at least 100 hrs, at least 180 and the like.

Reaction of the β-glucosidase with biomass substrate or pretreated biomass substrate under these conditions may result in the release of substantial amounts of the soluble sugars from the substrate. For example at least 20%, at least 30%, at least 40%, at least 50%, at least 60%, at least 70%, at least 80%, at least 90% or more soluble sugar may be available as compared to the release of sugar by the wildtype C1. In some embodiment the amount of soluble sugar made available may be at least 2-fold, at least 3-fold, at least 4-fold, or at least 5-fold greater than that made available by the wildtype C1 under the same conditions. In some embodiments, the soluble sugars will comprise glucose.

The soluble sugars produced by the methods of the present invention may be used to produce an alcohol (such as, for example, ethanol, butanol, and the like). The present invention therefore provides a method of producing an alcohol, where the method comprises (a) providing a fermentable sugar produced using a β-glucosidase polypeptide of the present invention in the methods described supra; (b) contacting the fermentable sugar with a fermenting microorganism to produce the alcohol or other metabolic product; and (c) recovering the alcohol or other metabolic product.

In some embodiments, the β-glucosidase polypeptide of the present invention, or composition, cell culture medium, or cell lysate containing the β-glucosidase polypeptide may be used to catalyze the hydrolysis of a biomass substrate to a fermentable sugar in the presence of a fermenting microorganism such as a yeast (e.g., Saccharomyces sp., such as, for example, S. cerevisiae, Zymomonas sp., E. coli, Pichia sp., and the like) or other C5 or C6 fermenting microorganisms that are well known in the art, to produce an end-product such as ethanol. In this simultaneous saccharification and fermentation (SSF) process the fermentable sugars (e.g., glucose and/or xylose) are removed from the system by the fermentation process.

The soluble sugars produced by the use of a β-glucosidase polypeptide of the present invention may also be used in the production of other end-products. such as, for example, acetone, an amino acid (e.g., glycine, lysine, and the like), an organic acid (e.g., lactic acid, and the like), glycerol, a diol (e.g., 1,3 propanediol, butanediol, and the like) and animal feeds.

One of skill in the art will readily appreciate that the β-glucosidase polypeptide compositions of the present invention may be used in the form of an aqueous solution or a solid concentrate. When aqueous solutions are employed, the β-glucosidase solution can easily be diluted to allow accurate concentrations. A concentrate can be in any form recognized in the art including, for example, liquids, emulsions, suspensions, gel, pastes, granules, powders, an agglomerate, a solid disk, as well as other forms that are well known in the art. Other materials can also be used with or included in the β-glucosidase composition of the present invention as desired, including stones, pumice, fillers, solvents, enzyme activators, and anti-redeposition agents depending on the intended use of the composition.

In addition to use for conversion of cellulosic biomass, β-glucosidase polypeptides and compositions thereof may also be used in the food and beverage industry for example in the process of wine making for the efficient release of monoterpenols (see, for example, Yanai and Sato (1999) Am. J. Enol. Eitic., 50:231-235, which is incorporated herein by reference) and for the preparation of glycon isoflavone-enriched tofu (see, for example, Mase et al., (2004) J. Appl. Glycosci., 51:211-216, which is incorporated herein by reference). β-glucosidase polypeptides of the present invention may also be employed in detergent compositions for improved cleaning performance (see, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 7,244,605; U.S. Pat. No. 5,648,263 and WO 2004/048592, which are incorporated herein by reference).

The foregoing and other aspects of the invention may be better understood in connection with the following non-limiting examples.

VIII. EXAMPLES Example 1. Cloning of Genomic DNA

Genomic DNA was isolated from C1 cells using standard procedures. Briefly, hyphal innoculum was seeded into a growth medium and allowed to grow for 72 hours at 35° C. The mycelian mat was collected by centrifugation, washed, and 50 ul DNA extraction buffer (200 mM TRIS pH 8.0; 250 mM NaCl; 125 mM EDTA; 0.5% SDS) was added. The mycelium was ground with conical grinder, reextracted with 250 ul extraction buffer, and the suspension was centrifuged. The supernatant was transfered to a new tube containing 300 μl isopropanol. DNA was collected by centrifugation, washed twice with 70% ethanol, and diluted in 100 μl of water.

The region including the β-glucosidase bgl1 gene was cloned from each of three C1 strains, including wildtype cells and two different Alp1 cell lines, and sequenced. Cloning was carried out using PCR with internal and external primers shown in Table 3. The amplification product of the internal primers is the protein coding portion of the bgl1 gene, while the external primer include 5′ and 3′ flanking sequences.

TABLE 3  Internal primers: C1bgl_fwd1 ATGAAGGCTGCTGCGCTTTC SEQ ID NO: 22 C1bgl_rev1 TCATTAAGGAAGCTCAATCT SEQ ID TGAGATC NO: 23 External primers: C1bgl_fwd2 TCTCTGCCGGTGCCATCAAT SEQ ID CATCT NO: 24 C1bgl_rev2 GCTCACCGGAACTTGCCAAG SEQ ID TGCT NO: 25

The bgl1 sequence is provided in FIG. 1A-F (upper sequence). Notably, the C1 genomic sequence we obtained differed from published sequences at four positions (corresponding to nucleotides 1440, 1451, 1511, and 1521 of SEQ ID NO:1).

Example 2. Cloning of cDNA

The C1 bgl1 cDNA was cloned and sequenced as described below.

RNA Extraction from C1 Fermentation Media

RNA was purified from 3 days old culture of C1 (Alp1 strain) grown at 35° C. with 250 rpm shaking. 500-1200 μl of the culture broth was transferred into a cooled mortar and grinded thoroughly with the pestle in the presence of liquid N2. The cell powder was transferred into an Eppendorf tube and 1500 μl Trizol reagent was added to the sample. After mixing, it was incubated for 20 min at room temperature and centrifuged at 12000g, 4° C., for 15 min. The clear homogenate was transferred into a 2 ml centrifuge tube and 300 μl chloroform was added, mixed and centrifuged at 12000g 4° C. for 30 min. The upper, aqueous phase was transferred into a new 2 ml tube and precipitated by adding 1200 μl 96% EtOH. The sample was further purified using the Qiagen RNeasy Kit using manufacturer instructions. Shortly: 700 μl precipitated sample was transferred into RNeasy Mini Spin column and centrifuged for 20 sec at 10000 g at 20° C. 350 μl RW1 buffer was added and centrifuged for 20 sec at 10000 g at 20° C. The DNase solution was added directly to the RNeasy spin column membrane, and incubated at room temperature for 25 min. 350 μl RW1 buffer was added and centrifuged for 20 sec at 10000 g at 20° C. Two times 500 μl RPE buffer was added to the Spin Column and centrifuge for 20 sec at 10000 g at 20° C. The RNeasy spin column was placed in a new 2 ml collection tube and centrifuged for 1 min at 10000 g at 20° C. Then the RNeasy spin column was placed to a new 1.5 ml collection tube and 30 μl RNease-free water was directly added to the spin column membrane and centrifuged for 1 min at 10000 g at 20° C. The concentration of the total RNA solution was about 1.9 μg/ul.

First strand synthesis using Superscript III Reverse Transcriptase

Into a nuclease-free microcentrifuge tube the following components were added:

-   1. 5 μl of oligo(dT) (400 ng/ul) (Qiagen Cat. No. 70DT01-1) -   2. 1 ug total RNA -   3. 1 μl 10 mM dNTP -   4. Sterile, distilled water to 13 μl

The mixture was heated to 65° C. for 5 minutes and incubated on ice for 1 minute and 4 μl 5× First-Strand Buffer, 1 μl 0.1 M DTT, 1.3 μl RNaseOUT™ Recombinant RNase Inhibitor (Cat. No. 10777-019) and 2 μl of SuperScript™ III RT. The mixture was incubated at 50° C. for 60 minutes and the reaction was inactivated by heating at 70° C. for 15 minutes.

PCR Cloning of bgl1 cDNA

To clone full length cDNA of bgl1 from the RT-PCR mix, 2 μl from the RT-PCR mix, 10 μl 5×Phusion HF buffer, 1 μl dNTP (Σ10 mM), 1 μl of Primer cdx09050 (10 μM), 1 ul of Primer cdx09052 (10 μM), 34.5 ul MQ water, and 0.5 μl Phusion HF* Polymerase (Finnzymes) was added and mixed. PCR conditions were: Initial denaturation: 98° C.-30 sec, followed by 35 cycles of 98° C.-10 sec denaturation and 72° C. 2 min 40 sec elongation, and a final extension cycle of 72° C. for 5 min. The PCR product was purified with EZ-10 spin column according to the manufacturer instructions and cloned into PCRBlunt using the StrataClone Ultra Blunt PCR cloning kit (Stratagene) according to the manufacturer instructions.

TABLE 4  SEQ ID Primer name Sequence (5′-3′) NO: cdx09050 GGCTCATGAAGGCTGCTGCGCTTTCC 26 TGC cdx09052 GCCGAATTCTCAAGGAAGCTCAATCT 27 TGAGATCC TcbhC1bgl_R1 GCGTGTCTCAGAACCTCCTTCAGAGA 28 GGTTCGTTTACTTACTTATTATCAAG GAAGCTCAATCTTGAGATCC PcbhC1bgl_F GTCTTCAGATCAAGCAACTGTGTGCT 10 GATCCTCTTCCGTCATGAAGGCTGCT GCGCTTTC

FIG. 2A-D shows the cDNA sequence obtained (also see FIG. 1A-F) along with the predicted protein sequence. As illustrated in FIG. 3, the exon structure of the bgl1 gene differs from that previously described (see patent publication US 2007/0238155). The exon structure reflected in the cDNA sequence was consistent with analysis of the corresponding genomic sequence using the Augustus v.2.03 and Genemark-ES v.2 gene prediction algorithms (see Stanke et al., 2006, “AUGUSTUS: ab initio prediction of alternative transcripts” Nucleic Acids Res. 34(Web Server issue):W435-9; Ter-Hovhannisyan et al., 2008, Genome Res. 18:1979-90). As a consequence of the differences in the cDNA sequence, the BGL1 protein sequence we identified differs from the previously described sequence at the amino terminus and internally.

Because BGL1 is secreted it is expected to have a signal peptide. SignaIP (Bendtsen et al., 2004, “Improved prediction of signal peptides: SignaIP 3.0” J Mol Biol. 340(4):783-95) predicts a cleavage site (“//”) between amino acids 19 and 20 of SEQ ID NO:4.

[SEQ ID NO: 12] N-terminus-MKAAALSCLFGSTLAVAGA//IESRKVHQKPLARSEPF YPS...-C-terminus

In addition, our results demonstrate that BGL1 comprises aspartic acid at position 358, glutamine at position 381, and glutamic acid at position 385, while the published sequence provides, histidine, histidine and lysine, respectively, at the corresponding positions.

Example 3. Construction of Bill Expression Vectors with C1 Promoters

To produce the bgl1 sequence under control of the C1 CBH1a promoter, we cloned the bgll genomic sequence into a vector that includes a CBH1a promoter sequence (SEQ ID NO:8, see FIG. 4; also see PCT publication WO 01/79507), 3′ regulatory sequences including a CBH1a transcription terminator, and an ampicillin resistance marker. In addition, a phleomycin resistance gene cassette was cloned into the vector at 3′ to the terminator. Using the SLIC cloning technique (Mamie et al., 2007, Nature Methods 4:251-56) the DNA corresponding to the pre-protein portion of the bgl1 sequence was amplified using primers PcbhC1bgl_F and TcbhC1bgl_R1 (see TABLE 4 in Example 2, supra). The resulting product was cloned into Pmll/Pacl-digested vector 3′ to the CBH1a promoter to create an expression vector that expressed the BGL1 protein transcript under the control of the CBH1a promoter.

Example 4. C1 Transformation Method Protoplast Preparation

C1 cells (Alp1 strain) was inoculated into 100 ml growth medium in an 500 ml Erlenmeyer flask using 10⁶ spores/ml. The culture was incubated for 48 hours at 35° C., 250 rpm. To harvest the mycelium, the culture was filtered over a sterile Myracloth filter (Calbiochem) and washed with 100 ml 1700 mosmol NaCl/CaCl2 solution (0.6 M NaCl, 0.27 M CaCl2*H2O). The washed mycelia was transferred into a 50 ml tube and weighed. Caylase (20 mg/gram mycelia) was dissolved in 1700 mosmol NaCl/CaCl2 and UV-sterilized for 90 sec. 3 ml of sterile Caylase solution was added into the washed mycelia containing tube and mixed. Further 15 ml of 1700 mosmol NaCl/CaCl2 solution was added into the tube and mixed. The mycelium/Caylase suspension was incubated at 30° C., 70 rpm for 2 hours. Protoplasts were harvested by filtering through a sterile Myracloth filter into a sterile 50 ml tube. 25 ml cold STC was added to the flow through and spun down at 2720 rpm for 10 min at 4° C. The pellet was resuspended in 50 ml STC (1.2 M sorbitol, 50 mM CaCl2*H2O, 35 mM NaCl, 10 mM Tris-HCl) and centrifuged again. After the washing steps the pellet was resuspended in 1 ml STC.

Transformation

Into the bottom of a 15 ml sterile tube 6 μg plasmid DNA was pipetted and 1 μl Aurintricarboxylic acid and 100 μl protoplast were added. The content was mixed and the protoplast with the DNA were incubated at room temperature for 25 min. 1.7 ml PEG4000 solution (60% PEG4000 [polyethylene glycol, average molecular weight 4000 daltons], 50 mM CaCl₂*H2O, 35 mM NaCl, 10 mM Tris-HCl) was added and mixed thoroughly. The solution was kept at room temperature for 20 min. The tube was filled with STC, mixed and centrifuged at 2500 rpm for 10 min at 4° C. The STC was poured off and the pellet was resuspended in the remaining STC and plated on minimal media plates. The plates were incubated for 5 days at 35° C. Colonies were restreaked and checked for the presence of the integrated plasmid. Several isolates were selected and tested for the expression of Bgl1.

Example 5. β-Glucosidase Activity Assay

A colorimetric pNPG (p-nitrophenyl-β-D-glucopyranoside)-based assay was used to measure β-glucosidase activity. β-glucosidase over-expression was determined based on the activity of secreted protein relative to wild-type C1. Untransformed (e.g., wildtype) or transformed cells were grown in 96-well plates, and media was collected. The media containing secreted protein was diluted 40-fold in 50 mM Na-acetate buffer, pH 5. 20 μL of the dilute enzyme mixture containing β-glucosidase enzyme was added to 80 μL of 2 mM pNPG (Sigma-Aldrich, Inc. St. Louis, Mo.), 50 mM Na-acetate pH5. The reactions were incubated at pH 5, 50° C. for 10 min. The reaction mixture is quenched with 100 μL of 1M sodium carbonate pH 11 solution. The absorbance of the solution is measured at 405 nm to determine the conversion of pNPG to p-nitrophenol. The release of p-nitrophenol (ε=17,700 M-1 cm-1) is measured at 405 nm to calculate β-glucosidase activity.

Example 6. Over-Expression of BGL1

The expression vector described in Example 3, having a bgl1 sequence under the control of the C1 CBH1a promoter, was cotransformed into C1 (Alp1, pyr5 strain) cells along with a pyr expressing plasmid. Individual transformants were selected and cultured in 96 well plates. Media was collected from the transformants and control cells and assayed for β-glucosidase activity using the pNPG assay. The pNPG activity of the transformants was compared to the untransformed control cells (described above). Activity was measured as described in Example 5. The highest level of over-expression observed was about 35-fold over-expression, with the 10 highest expressors having 30-35 fold higher expression than wild-type.

While the present invention has been described with reference to the specific embodiments thereof, it should be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes can be made and equivalents can be substituted without departing from the scope of the invention. In addition, many modifications can be made to adapt a particular situation, material, composition of matter, process, process step or steps, to achieve the benefits provided by the present invention without departing from the scope of the present invention. All such modifications are intended to be within the scope of the claims appended hereto.

All publications and patent documents cited herein are incorporated herein by reference as if each such publication or document was specifically and individually indicated to be incorporated herein by reference. Citation of publications and patent documents is not intended as an indication that any such document is pertinent prior art, nor does it constitute any admission as to the contents or date of the same. 

We claim:
 1. A method for producing glucose from cellobiose, comprising contacting cellobiose with a recombinant cell comprising a polynucleotide sequence encoding a recombinant β-glucosidase polypeptide, operably linked to a heterologous promoter under conditions in which β-glucosidase is produced by the cell and said cellobiose is enzymatically converted by said β-glucosidase to glucose, and wherein said polypeptide: a) is at least 95% identical to SEQ ID NO:3 and comprises an amino-terminal sequence set forth as IESRK (SEQ ID NO:5), ESRK (SEQ ID NO:29) or SRK; and/or is a secreted protein derived from a preprotein, wherein the preprotein is at least 95% identical to SEQ ID NO:4 and comprises an amino-terminal sequence comprising SEQ ID NO:6 or NO:7; and/or b) is at least 95% identical to SEQ ID NO:3 and comprises at least one, at least two, or three amino acid residues selected from aspartic acid at position 358 (358ASP), glutamine at position 381 (381GLN), and glutamic acid at position 385 (385GLU) where amino acid position numbers correspond to SEQ ID NO:4.
 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the recombinant cell is a fungal cell.
 3. The method of claim 2, wherein the recombinant cell is a Myceliophthora thermophila cell.
 4. The method of claim 1, wherein the polynucleotide sequence encoding a recombinant β-glucosidase polypeptide is operably linked to a heterologous promoter.
 5. The method of claim 4, wherein the heterologous promoter is the M. thermophila C1 cellobiohydrolase 1a (CBH1a) promoter.
 6. The method of claim 1, wherein the recombinant cell further comprises at least one additional cellulase enzyme.
 7. The method of claim 6, wherein said additional cellulase enzyme is selected from cellobiohydrolases, endoglucanases, and beta-glucosidases.
 8. The method of claim 6, wherein said additional cellulase enzyme is a heterologous enzyme.
 9. A method of converting a biomass substrate to a fermentable sugar, comprising: combining a recombinant host cell comprising a polynucleotide sequence encoding the recombinant β-glucosidase polypeptide of claim 1, wherein the encoding sequence does not comprise introns, and wherein optionally the polynucleotide is operably linked to a heterologous promoter; and said biomass substrate, under conditions suitable for the production of the fermentable sugar.
 10. The method of claim 5, wherein said biomass substrate comprises cellobiose and the fermentable sugar is glucose. 